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CNN Sunday Morning

Weather Service Warns of Eight-State Midwest Blizzard; Stores Use Scents, Sounds to Encourage Spending

Aired December 12, 2010 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning, everybody.

Take a look at what some parts of the country are dealing with right now. Don't laugh at them though, because it may be coming your direction. Some of this weather has essentially shut down cities and towns and highways. We will tell you what's happening, what you need to know, where it's heading next and what a mess it's going to cause for some of you that are going to be traveling.

Also, it was supposed to only be a two-hour tour that started yesterday around 4 in the afternoon. But they are still on that boat. They have been stuck. We'll tell you who these folks are. But about 600 passengers stuck on this boat. They are stranded - have been there overnight. We'll tell you about the effort this morning to get them finally off that boat.

Good morning to you all. Top of the hour here. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Six a.m. where I am here in Atlanta; 2 p.m. in Baghdad. Wherever you may be, glad you're right here.

I'm T.J. Holmes.

Want to welcome, as always, our troops who are watching as well right now on the Armed Forced Networks in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world. Thank you for being here as well. Thank you for what you do.

Let me get you caught up on some things and tell you what else is coming up over the next 90 minutes.

Actually going to see something this morning that you have never seen before: pictures of the King of Pop. They're actually going on the auction block tomorrow. But these are pictures no one has ever seen of Michael Jackson. We'll explain why these were sitting on a shelf for 10 years and how much they're expected to go for.

Also - you know, stores out there, you go into them, you expect to spend so much money or just get a few things; you walk out spending more money than you anticipate. There's a reason for that. It's probably because you're a sucker. You have been falling for what the retailers are doing to you. Some tricks you need to know about to keep you from spending more than you anticipated.

Also, a 911 call like you've never heard before, to report a squirrel in the toilet. We'll explain this scene for you coming up.

But let me head back to this weather. Our Bonnie Schneider is here with us.

But she was telling us about this yesterday. Take a look at this picture. These are some of the snow totals in several places yesterday. A lot of these were either near-record or records yesterday. But so many cities and towns and states even had to deal with no just snow, but these sub-freezing temperatures as well. We had strong winds also. Roads out there are covered with snow, sometimes covered with ice. Interstates are shut down. Of course, that complicated some of the travel plans for people on the roads, but also complicated a lot of travel plans for people who are in the air as well.

And did we mention winter hasn't officially started yet? They don't believe that in Minnesota's Twin Cities. They're finding themselves in the biggest snowstorm they've seen in almost 20 years. The meteorologists there are calling the eighth-largest snowstorm in the city's history. Talking about Minneapolis here.

Also, our CNN i-Reporter - some of them, in particularly Jack Paar, doing his own weather report for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK PAAR, CNN IREPORTER: It's really bad out. There's a car stuck. That's the best way to get around: cross-country skis, right here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right. Police are telling folks to stay off the roads unless it is absolutely necessary for you to be out.

Turn to Wisconsin now. Kind of the same story there, with the snow totals. Also, there's a lot of closures taking place. Take a look at what's happening in Eau Claire - Eau Claire this morning, compliments of another one of our i-Reports here. Says she's never shoveled this much snow before. Parts of western Wisconsin seeing anywhere from 12 to 20 inches of snow.

Iowa, they're feeling the frigid temperatures as well. Sioux Falls in particular. The wind and snow making treacherous out there on the roadways. Interstate 29 from Sioux Falls to north of Omaha, Nebraska, closed this morning. Conditions are so bad snow plows - they cant even get out and even get the snow off. They're the ones supposed to be out there helping the cars get around. They can't even get around themselves.

Also, the New York Giants are stranded right now in Kansas City. They were supposed to be heading up to Minneapolis - supposed to be heading up to Minnesota to play the Minnesota Vikings today. But that's not going to happen. They're actually stranded at the airport. You see Eli Manning there. But yes, they got stuck. They're trying to find their way up eventually. And the game has now been postponed; it's going to be tomorrow night, a Monday night game.

And one little side not here: This maybe helps Brett Favre a little bit with his streak of 297 straight games that he's played, that he has started. He has kind of a - a - a bum shoulder right now, so he gets an extra day to rest up and maybe his streak will stay in place since he gets to play tomorrow instead of today - gets one more day of rest.

Well, more weather woes as well. This time we need to take you to the Pacific Northwest. We're not talking about snow here though. It's rain causing a problem, in particular a mudslide that has halted Amtrak train service between Seattle and Portland.

So Bonnie, with that...

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's a lot of weather.

HOLMES: ... you - wherever you want to start, you got right ahead. What do we need to be keeping an eye on today?

SCHNEIDER: Well, T.J., you mentioned all the snow in the Midwest. Incredible numbers. The problem is, it's still snowing. And we are not done by any means with this storm.

The energy of it has actually dropped further snow and some of the snow and the wind and the rain, it's all spreading eastward. So we still have snow across much of Iowa into Wisconsin. It's stopped in Minneapolis, so you're probably shoveling out. But boy are you in for some big changes.

Brutally cold temperatures, including dangerous wind chills tonight. Parts of this city will drop down to a wind chill that's actually 20 degrees below zero. So it's really going to be treacherous and really dangerous out there.

Take a look at some of the advisories that continue across Wisconsin and a lot of them extend further southward into Pennsylvania, into Kentucky and St. Louis, because we're still looking at that wintry weather.

What's happening is, here's our low. The frigid temperatures and the windy conditions will persist across a good portion of the Midwest. High pressure bringing more fair conditions to areas into Texas. But no, we actually have freeze watches posted for much of South Texas and into Florida.

By contrast, we're looking at record warmth across Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico. If you're looking for a relief from all this cold, it will be in the 80s in LA today. Unbelievable when you look at that contrast.

I want to show you some pictures of what's been happening across much of the Midwest. First off, let's head to Minnesota, where we have seen some incredible numbers of snow. It was snowing pretty much all day long, and even for Minnesotans, who are used to this sort of weather, unfortunately, it's just treacherous. You really can't even venture out on the roads. It's been advised to stay inside during these blizzard conditions. The winds gusting as high 45 miles per hour, creating blowing and drifting snow. Visibility less than a quarter mile at times.

And it wasn't much better in Wisconsin as well. That's another area where the roads have been really difficult. There were a lot of traffic accidents. This is an i-Report from Mike Stouffer from Wausau, Wisconsin. It looks like traffic is moving, but you can see outside his front steps, all the snow on the ground. And early in the morning, it makes it really treacherous, because the plows are just getting out, and some of them can't keep up with all the snow that's been falling. And that's been causing a lot of problems.

And then, one of the things that's just so incredible with this storm system is the fierce wind. And what that wind, we do get those one-to-two-feet snow drifts. You may shovel out only to wake up, or a few hours later, find the snow accumulating once again.

But this is where it gets really dangerous. Today and tonight, we are looking at later tonight, an incredible wind chill. It's going to feel like it's negative 27 degrees in Fargo; negative 17 in Minneapolis. So we are looking at dangerous wind chill across much of Iowa and even into Chicago. Actually tonight - I think overnight tonight, the wind chill will drop down to zero in Chicago. So today, you're really looking at a dangerous situation with blowing snow and incredible wind chills.

T.J., it's also important to note that down South, the - the cold is always relative. We have winter-weather advisories for Tennessee, northern Alabama and north Georgia tonight. And that's for black ice and even some snow. We're going to see snow here in the Deep South, too.

HOLMES: Wow. Negative 27 possibly? We can't relate to that. Even though it's been cold down here in the South, that's something we can't relate to here. But dangerous weather.

Bonnie, we appreciate you. We're going to be checking plenty with Bonnie this morning as she updates us on that weather situation.

Want to turn back to this other situation happening in Branson, Missouri. We're expecting some kind of a - a rescue, if you will, to get under way, maybe in the next hour or so, because 600 people are stranded on a showboat there. These passengers and crew are aboard what's called the Branson Belle. And they've been on this thing since 4:00 in the afternoon local time yesterday.

You see a picture of it here. Six hundred and forty-three people total there. Most of those passengers - they have 70-plus members of the crew who are onboard as well. But it took off yesterday around 4:00. Supposed to be a two-hour tour. They get a - a show. They get dinner onboard. But they had some issues with high winds on Table Rock Lake, and it ran aground. But because of the high winds, they couldn't seen another boat out to try to rescue the folks. And also, they couldn't get this boat started again and put it back on - out on the water. So they have had to sit tight all night. Again, since 4:00 in the afternoon yesterday they've been on this boat.

So they have food. They have heat. They have power. So they're OK. But there are no sleeping accommodations on that boat. So they've had to just rough it for the most part.

We are told everyone onboard is doing just fine. But again, maybe around 6:00 this morning local time there in Branson, they're expecting to possibly try to get that boat at least back on the water and get it back to where it needs to be, or send another boat to try to get those people off that particular showboat.

Well, head overseas now, where two explosions that the Sweden government is calling a terrorist attack, took place. These blasts happening in central Stockholm yesterday. One man killed. It's possible that that one man was the bomber. Two other people were injured. Swedish police say it could have been catastrophic - that's the word they used - because the bombs were targeted in a popular shopping area.

Police got an e-mail, also, minutes before the explosions. And in a sound file that was attached to that e-mail, a speaker expressed anger over Swedish troops in Afghanistan and a Swedish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet Mohammed as having the body of a dog. A terrorism expert says he does not think this bomber acted alone.

Give you an update now on U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke. He s still in critical condition this morning after surgery to repair a tear in his aorta. Doctors at George Washington University Hospital performed that surgery.

Holbrooke left a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday morning feeling ill. An ambulance took him to the hospital. He's 69 years old. Serves right now as the special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan. He's considered a vital member of the administration's foreign-policy team.

Also, we watched yesterday as family, friends and people who knew her just from a distance said goodbye to Elizabeth Edwards. She, of course, the estranged wife of former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards. She died Tuesday after a six-year battle with breast cancer. Twelve hundred people, among them John Edwards, packed the church in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the public funeral.

The Edwards daughter, oldest daughter, Cate, helped eulogize her mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CATE EDWARDS, DAUGHTER: She was smart as a whip, but tried to never hold that over anyone - well, unless she was right and they were wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Cate called her mother "a lighthouse to all of us."

Well, turn to Haiti now, where former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is touring parts of that country as part of a humanitarian delegation. She joined a trip headed by evangelist Franklin Graham's relief organization. He says she'll be a great encouragement to the people of Haiti, still suffering after January's earthquake and now a cholera outbreak.

Some see Palin's trip, of course, as some kind of a step to a possible run for the GOP nomination for president in 2012. However, she hasn't said anything about that.

Well, coming up, we are going to show you something this morning that you have never seen before. Michael Jackson - we have seen him in so many videos and so many interviews, so many photographs. But you're going to see him a way you have never seen him before, because pictures are going on the auction block. We're going to share those with you.

Twelve minutes past the hour. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: A beautiful shot of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, where we are here, at the CNN world headquarters. And listening to a little Michael Jackson this morning, because you Michael Jackson fans out there - and I know there are a lot of you - I'm about to show you something you have never seen before.

None of us have seen these before. Take a look here. They're among the 90 photos that will be auctioned off tomorrow in Paris. It's a special preview here. They're previewing them for a lot of people, especially those who might be bidding on them.

A French photographer took these pictures back in 1999. They were supposed to be on the cover of Michael Jackson's final studio album in 2001, "Invincible." They were never actually used, however, so they were essentially just shelved. So they've been sitting around for 10 years.

The bidding is expected to start about $1,400 each for some of the main portraits. People, of course, have been shelling out some pretty big bucks for Michael Jackson memorabilia since he died.

And we'll keep with the photo here. Some of the best of the year, at least from "Time"'s perspective. "Time" magazine out with their favorite shots of 2010.

Josh Levs with that for us this morning. Good morning, Josh. JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey, good morning to you.

Yes, they are, right behind me. Let's take a look at these.

So time.com - our partners, by the way - go through these all shots they've had during the year, and they say, 'What are the most telling, most powerful, most interesting stories that we can tell through photos this whole year?'

And this first one, way back in January, and they have a quote that goes along with this, of him saying, "I think we've done a pretty good job of working in this town without being completely consumed by it."

All right. Let's check out some of these other photos here. This one is from Haiti. It looks at homeless refugees. Just a reminder of what people in Haiti have been dealing with through 2010.

Now, remember the volcano early on this year everyone was talking about? Look at that shot. These is the - the volcanic eruption in Iceland, lighting up the Icelandic sky, causing a global mess.

Now, next one, a pretty happy shot of the World Cup. And you can see lots of vuvuzelas in this picture. In fact, you kind of - it splits, so you're seeing the same picture two ways. And you can look at it either way.

This is actually the first soccer match in Soccer City Stadium in Soweto.

All right. Let's go to another one here. The oil spill. This shot here was taken two months after the explosion on an oil rig. And it's near Venice, Louisiana. This was back in the summer.

All right. We got time for a couple more here.

This one's really interesting. This is out of Mexico. This is a reflection of the drug wars: A burned house riddled with bullets that was basically left untouched for two years after this shootout had happened. And - and some "Time" photographers went in there and got pictures of what it looks like as a reflection of what's going on down there south of the border.

All right. We can start to tie up.

This is a nice one. The Iraq drawdown: "Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard await takeoff of the plane that would take them home."

Now, before I go, I want to let you know about one more thing: On CNN.com, on our world edition, we have daily snapshots. So every day, we're showing you some of the best pictures in the whole world.

Let's zoom in right here. This is just one of them: "Revelers dressed as Santa Claus celebrating during the annual SantaCon in New York City."

Check them out. They're at edition.CNN.com. We're getting them every day.

And T.J., we certainly are inviting everyone to tell us what you think the best pictures of the year are. Go ahead and send them in by i-Reporter or send them to me at Facebook and Twitter. Let us know what you think the best shots of 2010 are. We'll share some of those next week, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Josh, thank you so much.

LEVS: You got it. (INAUDIBLE)

HOLMES: Well, about 19 minutes past the hour now.

A lot of people still doing that holiday shopping. You'll be doing it today. You go in; you expect to buy just a couple of things. You come out with a whole bunch of stuff. And you spend more.

Well, there might be a good reason for that. It could be because you're a sucker and you are falling for exactly what the retailers want you to fall for. Anything from the way a store smells to what you hear inside - all as a plan to get you to spend more.

We're going to tell you how to avoid some of those tricks.

Also this morning, the White House is trying to push forward in repealing "don't ask, don't tell." Well, how exactly do military chaplains feel about the policy? We're going to be talking to some of them.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: At 22 minutes past the hour - yes, you better shop around. They were talking about something different in the - in the song.

But what we're talking about shopping right now is actually, yes, in that store. And when you're in that store, sometimes a certain smell or a certain sound can actually trigger you to spend more money than you intended to spend. Did you know that?

Well, I didn't know that. But I got schooled on this by our financial analyst Clyde Anderson. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. It's that time - I don't know, how many days do we have left. What, about - how many shopping days? What: Fifteen or 16, something like that? Do we have that many? Somebody do the math for me. I don't have it on top of my head.

Everybody looking at me crazy in the studio. Nobody can add it up right quick.

But you don't have much time. Fourteen - fourteen days left to do your shopping.

Now, when you go out there to do your shopping, there are some specific tricks that retail stores use to make you spend more than you planned on spending.

Our financial analyst Clyde Anderson here with me this morning.

This is a - this is kind of cool stuff here that they do. Who - who knew?

CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL ADVISER: Who knew?

HOLMES: Who knew?

All right. But what are the specific things out there you need to be watching out for in the first place?

ANDERSON: Well, I think it's three things that we need to look at first. They're doing several tricks.

HOLMES: All right.

ANDERSON: And so you've got to be prepared. So it's buyer beware.

HOLMES: OK.

ANDERSON: And one of the things that they do is actually go ahead and use promotionals and - and use things like early-bird specials to get you in the store quickly, and say that "limited supplies."

HOLMES: OK.

ANDERSON: You know, "while supplies last." "Quantities are limited."

HOLMES: So you're telling me that's not true?

ANDERSON: It's not true. They got orders throughout the whole holiday season.

HOLMES: Oh come on.

ANDERSON: And so that triggers that emotion in you to say, 'Hey, I got to get this before they're all gone.'

HOLMES: OK. (INAUDIBLE)

ANDERSON: All right. That's one.

The next one is going ahead and say that, 'OK, No. 2,' - the thing that they do, and they're trying to get you to do, is - is outside of the early-bird specials, they're going send you promotional items and things like gift cards in the mail.

HOLMES: OK. What's wrong with that?

ANDERSON: Well, they'll send three items. They'll say, 'Buy' - you know, don't buy anything. Just come in. I'll give you a $25 gift card. And a lot of retailers are doing this right now.

But think about, when you go in those stores, you're going to buy something. If you buy a shirt, you're going to buy a pair of pants to go with it. Very few people take that gift card, that free coupon, and go in and just buy that one thing. OK? So the emotion is that, 'I'm getting something for free...'

HOLMES: OK.

ANDERSON: Why not buy something else?

HOLMES: We love free stuff.

ANDERSON: We love free stuff.

All right. The next one I'll say is a "BOGO." And we've talked about this before. That's the 'buy one, get one."

HOLMES: Yes.

ANDERSON: On the "buy one, get one," you think you're really getting something for free.

HOLMES: OK.

ANDERSON: Nothing in life is free.

HOLMES: Yes.

ANDERSON: And so we've got to really understand that. And so it's just like getting something off the clearance rack. They're going to mark those things up a lot of times to be able to offer that deal to you. So you might as well just go and shop on the clearance instead of getting suckered in to believe that you're really getting something for free.

HOLMES: Wait a minute - "buy one, get one free" is not legit? That's not legit?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: It's like telling you...

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Even at the grocery store, as soon as you walk in the grocery store, it says, "buy one, get one free."

ANDERSON: I just ruined it for you, right?

HOLMES: You kind of killed it for me.

ANDERSON: Yes, I kind of killed it for you.

HOLMES: OK.

Let's move on to the next one here.

Now, I had no idea about this and I don't even know where you're going with this. But there are certain smells that trigger...

ANDERSON: Certain smells that trigger your emotion. And department stores pay a lot of money to get these scents.

And there are scientists and chemists that come up with these scents to - to lower your inhibitions and to get you to spend more money. And that's what they do. (INAUDIBLE)

HOLMES: They serve liquor when you walk in, man.

ANDERSON: It's relaxing.

Think about. You know, it's known that casinos pump oxygen into the casino. The same thing. They want you to keep ringing that register over and over again.

And so you think about it: The baby departments are going to smell like baby powder a lot of times. When you go in the beach section or you're looking for bathing suits, it's going to smell like the beach.

HOLMES: Are you serious?

ANDERSON: Take a look at it. Next time you're in the store, smell - step back a little bit. Take a breath. Smell. And then you'll realize that a lot of things are in there are strategic. They're planned. They came to play hard. They want your money.

HOLMES: Oh, that ain't fair (ph).

ANDERSON: And so they're prepared.

And the other thing is sounds. You know, we don't think about that music or the festive holiday music that we're hearing all the times. Those are things that get you to stay in the store a lot longer. And generally, they say 30 to 40 percent longer, especially if they're playing slow-tempo music.

So if you go in the store and they're playing - playing the slow- tempo music, that's to get you to linger around a little bit more. If you linger around a little bit more...

HOLMES: I'll be danged.

ANDERSON: ...you're going to pay, or are going to spend more money. You're going to continue to swipe that card, because you're comfortable, you're relaxed. And it will get you in the holiday spirit, especially with that Christmas song.

Oh my goodness. OK, some of this I had no idea.

So what's the best way you're supposed to combat this stuff? With the mindset?

ANDERSON: It's mindset. Be prepared. Go in there with a plan. Now I'm going in there to get these specific items. Lists are perfect. Because otherwise, you're going to fall victim. You become the prey.

You know, you've got to have a plan. Know what you're buying. Don't go in the store and end up walking out with stuff you had no intention of even buying in the first place.

HOLMES: I am such a sucka. Oh man, I had no idea.

ANDERSON: Most of us.

HOLMES: I was telling everybody else in the tease, 'Hey, try to avoid being a sucka. I'm that sucka.'

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: All right.

ANDERSON: Sucka no more.

HOLMES: All right. Clyde, we appreciate you as always. Good stuff for people to keep in mind.

ANDERSON: All right, man. My pleasure.

HOLMES: Thanks so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Well, at 27 minutes past the hour now, I want you to stick around for a story we have coming up after the commercial break. This is one of those feel-good holiday stories. But this one has a bit of a twist to it.

This is one where a total stranger does something for a family that lost a loved one in Iraq. I want you to see this.

It's 27 past the hour. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Good morning again, everybody. Welcome back. Welcome back to the CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Forgive me, a little under the weather so if you'll allow me to hold on to my hot tea here.

But, I'm T.J. Holmes, take a look at some of the stories that are making headlines right now. Officials right now in Missouri are busy trying to get to 600 people who are stranded on a showboat. That's the showboat you're seeing there. It's called the Brandon Belle.

Passengers and crew have been on this thing since 4:00 local time yesterday. It was supposed to be a two-hour cruise with dinner and a show. They have 45-mile an hour winds that caused the problem. The boat ran aground there.

Rescue crews wanted to wait until the winds died down before trying to tow the boat to safety or get them off. Everybody is OK. No sleeping accommodations on there. The lights are on. The heat is working. They have food. Everything is fine. But, of course, it's just not a comfortable situation. We'll keep you updated.

Also, turn to South Korea now. They have scheduled a new round of naval firing drills starting tomorrow, but they say they'll keep artillery fire away from islands in North Korea. Drills begin on Monday and on Friday. Tensions, of course, mounted on the Korean Peninsula In Late November When North Korea shelled a South Korean island. Four people died, among them two Marines, 12 others were wounded.

Also, we have blizzard watches and warnings across much of the Midwest, and it's spreading east now. Wind chill temperatures feel like 20 below in some places. Iowa right now under blizzard warning as the frigid storm system moves across the region.

Pretty much the same story in Minnesota, parts of western Wisconsin as well and also slammed with several inches of snow. Take a look at that. Also, no snow in Florida, but temperatures there are expected to dip into the mid-20s.

Let me head on over to our Bonnie Schneider now. This thing was developing all morning long yesterday. So now it's going to start causing problems for this part of the country. It's making its way.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right, T.J. and today is Sunday. It's a busy travel day in December. A lot of people looking to head home for the holidays maybe early or just do holiday shopping in your neighborhood. But how do you travel with weather like this?

Take a look at some pictures out of Minnesota, where we were measuring snowfall yesterday by the foot and even for the people who are veterans of this sort of weather, take a look at the roads. They're not even plowed because the plows can't keep up with the snow.

The winds are so strong, they blow the snow about. Even after a plow rolls through, you know, the snow coming down. That was the same situation for Wisconsin yesterday as well, still snowing in that state and the roads had been treacherous there. In the early morning hours of Wisconsin, people had to really just drive slowly or stay off the roads.

Unfortunately, that state is still under winter weather advisories right now. Take a look at our map. I kind of opened it up so you can see. We're no longer talking about the Midwest. We're talking about the heartland, the deep south, and even the northeast.

We're seeing a lot of wind and rain affecting places like New York City. So if you have a flight there, you might face delays. So far there are no delays. It's still really early in the morning, but I'm anticipating a lot of problems today for travelers on this busy Sunday in December.

Here's the big picture. We've got heavy thunderstorms down in north Florida into southern Georgia. A wintry mix across parts of Tennessee and North Carolina and then it's all snow into Minnesota and certainly for Chicago. Your weather is going to go from bad to worse. Look for conditions to deteriorate throughout the day.

And in the mountains of North Carolina and places like Mt. Aerie and Boone, you're getting that snow and then in Knoxville, it's all rain. But strong thunderstorms are rolling through Florida right now on I-10, making visibility really poor. All of that is headed to Charleston and Savannah as well.

We are expecting wintry weather in the south. We actually have some advisories posted for wintry weather and windy conditions for much of this region. So be looking for that. You'll be seeing the temperatures dropping down to the freezing mark across much of the south.

In fact, advisories have been posted across south Texas into Louisiana and even into parts of Florida as well. Let's take a closer look, and I'll show you the snowfall totals we're anticipating today, very heavy snow. If you zoom in right here into parts of western Michigan, look what's going on there.

That key is the highest. It's so dark it doesn't even register on the map. That's 20 inches plus of snow. We're going to see really large snowfall totals even as we go through the day. This is all into Canada. We're also looking at a lot of lake effect snow that will develop as well.

And then behind this system, as we go into Monday and Tuesday, we're shoveling out from the snow. This is the type of weather that you're going to have to contend with, dangerous, dangerous wind chills into much of much week. This is Monday morning, not too far off. It will feel like negative 11 in Chicago.

We're also looking at very brutal wind chills for the south, feeling like it's negative 2 as far south as Tennessee. Dangerous wind chills, T.J., mainly for this part of the country into Minnesota, where this evening it will feel like negative 20 and maybe even negative 30 in some areas.

I've never experienced wind chill like that, but you know it's just unbearable and dangerous. If you don't have to travel, stay inside tonight.

HOLMES: Bonnie, we appreciate that. Again, Bonnie is here with us all morning. She'll continue to give us those updates. Bonnie, we appreciate you. We'll check in often.

Want to turn now to the story I was telling you about just a couple of minutes ago. A newspaper clipping in Germany inspires a painter into action. The result, a stunning portrait of a daughter who died fighting in Iraq that gives some comfort to a mourning family. The details now from one of our CNN I-Reporters, Michelle Michael.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE MICHAEL, CNN I-REPORTER (voice-over): Not much trumps the excitement of a military homecoming. It's been said a picture is worth a thousand words, but this one is enough to render an artist speechless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to explain. I just can't put into words.

MICHAEL: When the words would not come, Andrew Washington wrote with his pencil and paintbrush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is Emily Perez?

MICHAEL: Her picture was in the newspaper, and her story hit close to home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's from my hometown.

MICHAEL: Two strangers from Heidelberg, Germany, one link.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had a common bond. We both served in combat. The only difference is I came home and she didn't.

MICHAEL: When Andrew read about how this West Point graduate laid down her life in 2006 in Iraq, he picked up his brush to bring her back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We never served together. I never met her.

MICHAEL: Yet the lines came easily.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But looking at her face and painting her, you can tell that she was pretty much a very happy person.

MICHAEL: And months later the strange impulse to paint her was no stranger at all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems like I've always known her, but I wish that I had met her in real life.

MICHAEL: Real life was such that Andrew finished the painting and thought it was the end of the story.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it stayed in the basement for three years.

MICHAEL: It stayed until he found a new place for it in Maryland.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going home to the Perez family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It should be here in about five days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their daughter wasn't forgotten. She's finally going home. MICHAEL: Daniel and Vicky Perez met a soldier at their door before, but not like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is how you unpack precious cargo.

MICHAEL: This is how you give a homecoming to a family who never thought they'd have one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It does bring back some emotion.

MICHAEL: A chance to touch her face and hold her hand one more time. It's Emily's final inspection.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is amazing.

MICHAEL: And proof a picture might speak a thousand words, but Andrew Washington just wants you to hear five.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Soldiers should not be forgotten.

MICHAEL: Michelle Michael, Manheim, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And Emily Perez is one of the many that we have honored in our special part of our web site. It's our home and away. That's where you can read stories about those who serve, share your memories at CNN.com/home and away.

Also, a reminder that tonight two chances to watch a special documentary event. It's a story of one man given unprecedented access to the Taliban. Footage he brought back shows you a dangerous enemy, but do the striking pictures really tell us all about the Taliban? Again, it's "Taliban," a special documentary event, CNN tonight 8:00 Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, 40 minutes past the hour now. Did you see the Heisman Trophy ceremony yesterday? No surprises at all. Auburn quarterback Cam Newton won the Heisman. A lot of people have a lot of questions now, is he going to get to keep the Heisman?

Now, nobody has any doubts about him earning this award. Yes, he was absolutely the best college football player on the field, no doubt about it, scored 49 touchdowns. That's more than about 40 schools scored on their own this whole season.

But the big deal here was a lot of off the field questions remain about this pay for play investigation. His father Cecil, who the NCAA says played some role in trying to essentially sell his son to a university, he was not there at the ceremony last night. He stayed away, saying he didn't want to take the moment away from his son, but kind of sad that, as close as this young man is to his father, that he couldn't share the moment with his father. Cam didn't necessarily address the issue in his speech. He said he's just in a dream world, hasn't woken up yet, but, yes, he is absolutely the best football player on the field all year long. Excuse me.

Well, let's turn now to Will Muschamp. You might not know that name. Certainly, Texas football champ fans know him well. They're going to bid him farewell because he is going to take the job at the University of Florida.

He's going to replace Urban Meyer who resigned last week. He's leaving his job at defensive coordinator in Texas. He was considered the head coach in waiting. He was there behind Mack Brown and pretty much been told he was going to get the job when Mack decided to retire, who knows, in five years or so.

He has no experience as a head coach. He takes over really one of the premiere programs in this country even though Florida had kind of a down year for them this year.

Also, speaking of college football, no matter what, this is always one of the biggest games of the year. A rivalry that is unrivaled really in college football, the Army-Navy game. Navy beat Army 31-17. The game was yesterday, 120th anniversary of this.

Navy is now on a nine-game win streak in this series, but the emotions certainly always running high in this particular battle, even though for the most part it doesn't have national implications like it used to, still a tradition like none other in college football.

Coming up, soccer not really that big of a tradition here in the U.S., but we've got some video to show you that you'll appreciate nonetheless. Did you see that? We'll show it to you again. It's 43 minutes past the hour. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 44 minutes past the hour. Repealing the Pentagon's policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would have a direct impact on the chaplains who serve the men and women in uniform, could put them at odds with their own religious beliefs. Here now is CNN's Kate Bolduan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some of the most intense and divergent views of gays serving in the military, according to the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" report, exist among military chaplains.

GENERAL CARTER HAM, COMMANDER, U.S. ARMY EUROPE: There is very clearly a concern out there by chaplains that they would somehow be treated adversely if they held or espoused religious views that were contrary to the government's view if the law is repealed.

BOLDUAN: That is just one concern expressed by some of the military's spiritual advisers.

CHAPLAIN DOUGLAS LEE, U.S. ARMY (RETIRED): The reason we were against the repeal is simply because of moral issues.

BOLDUAN: Retired Army Chaplain Douglas Lee is one of dozens of retired chaplains who wrote to President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates opposing the repeal. They write, quote "We believe that normalizing homosexual conduct in the Armed Forces will pose a significant threat to chaplains and service members' religious liberty."

LEE: I fear and many others fear that down the road that, knowing the other agenda item that are on the plate of those promoting a homosexual lifestyle, down the road would be a concern that chaplains would be restricted from proclaiming their faith tenets.

BOLDUAN: But other military chaplains say it's just the opposite. Retired Air Force Chaplain Jerry Rhyne supports repealing the policy and says the bigger issue is discrimination.

CHAPLAIN JERRY L. RYHNE, U.S. AIR FORCE (RETIRED): The scriptures, the gospels tell us that we need to love our neighbors as ourselves and so if you provide ministry on that basis, you cannot reject somebody based on their sexual orientation or their lifestyle, but you have to love them as a human being.

BOLDUAN: Chaplain Rhyne agrees with Defense Secretary Gates that safeguards are in place for service members and the chaplain corps to ensure that one person's religious views don't interfere with another's.

RHYNE: There is an obligation to care for all, but it also is clear that the chaplains are not going to be asked to teach something they don't believe in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Despite the divergent opinions, a change in policy would have little impact on the chaplain corps according to the report. Only 3 out of about 145 chaplains who participated suggested they would quit or leave if the law was changed. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

HOLMES: They are houses that are smaller than your average parking space, and they are becoming all the rage in one particular city. Our Nadia Bilchik details the micro-housing boom. She'll explain after the break. Stay with us.

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, RIGHT ACTION FOR WOMEN: Hi, I'm Christina Applegate, and we can make an impact for women who are at high risk for breast cancer.

It's time we stopped making this disease about women who are over 45 and realize that women in their 20s and 30s are getting breast cancer, and we can stop this. We can stop it when it's early and make sure they live long, healthy, incredible, joyful lives. Join the movement, impact your world at CNN.com/impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, 10 minutes to the top of the hour. Nadia Bilchik, you always have something interesting for us here, micro housing. We're talking about people living in something that is barely large enough to put a car in.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: You know, this is in Tokyo in Japan. You have 127 million people in Japan, a quarter of whom live in or near Tokyo. So land is at a premium. We'll say interestingly enough, to sell a house, you pay 50 percent tax.

So nobody ever wants to sell their houses and there is just such a shortage of space. So what happens -- and you're looking at a family now. This is a son and his mother who lives in a home literally that is 30 square meters. So the house is the size of a parking area, but it's built up. Look where the washing machines are.

HOLMES: It's built up?

BILCHIK: It's built up. Notice the sink. It's tiny. That sink is a half sized sink and you're looking at a spiral staircase, which increases the amount of space. Look where his shoes are.

So everything is meticulously, brilliantly, carefully planned. The spiral staircase creates the illusion of more space and what these architects do that is so brilliant is they put loads of windows in so it brings more light into the space.

This is the whole trend. You're not just looking at apartments that are put together or houses that are put together. They're skillfully designed by the best architects in Japan.

HOLMES: Was that two stories, three stories?

BILCHIK: This one is three stories. The closet space, the utility is carefully done, everything planned and put away. Sometimes you'll find the half sink is, in fact, on the top of a toilet tank.

HOLMES: OK, here's my question. I haven't seen it in the video yet. Where are they sleeping? Where are the beds?

BILCHIK: They are sleeping upstairs in the third story. Now mother and son sleep in the same bedroom in this particular story, and that is not unusual, believe it or not, for parents to live with children in Tokyo. A, because you don't necessarily then want to leave the house to your child because there's so much death tax to pay.

So the child just gets the house and also, just because of the shortage of space. Lots of families live together. So you realize how spoiled we are here in the United States of America. HOLMES: We had our McMansion boom here in this country. Everybody wanted a bigger and bigger house, and they're doing smaller and smaller there. What are the prices of these houses?

BILCHIK: Now, this particular house is $500,000. Look at what you can get in Atlanta, Georgia, for $500,000.

HOLMES: Why are they so expensive?

BILCHIK: Because land -- land in Tokyo is so expensive. So the house may have been between 150 and 170 to build, but the land. This gentleman couldn't afford much space so he literally took the corner lot, going back to the size of a Mercedes Benz parking space, and built up and has the space and is so thrilled to own his own home.

HOLMES: Wow. Well, maybe we can learn something from these guys. Micro housing.

BILCHIK: Micro housing otherwise known as (inaudible).

HOLMES: All right, Nadia Bilchik, always interesting to talk to you in the mornings. Thank you so much. We're going to check in with Nadia again this morning.

Coming up, we're going to be checking in with one of those passengers. We told you about the stranded boat, the Branson Belle. They were supposed to be taking a two-hour cruise, but they have been on it for the past 14 hours or so.

Once they ran into high winds. The boat ran aground. They couldn't get off. One of the passengers on the boat is going to talk to us coming up next. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. We're getting close to the top of the hour here. I want to get back to what is really a situation for about 600 passengers aboard this Branson Belle.

We've been telling you about this boat this morning, this showboat in Branson, Missouri, that was supposed to go out yesterday -- you're seeing a picture of it here -- at 4:00 in the afternoon yesterday for a cruise on Table Rock Lake.

It's only supposed to be about two hours. They get a show. They get a meal on board. Well, they ran into some high winds, 45 miles an hour. The captain there couldn't control that boat. They ran aground, and they've been stuck there since about 6:00 last evening local time.

So here we are. It's about 12 hours now. At least they've been out there. One of the passengers on board is on the line with me now. His name is Jim Wellborn. He joins us by phone. He's traveling with family. Jim, let me ask you, first of all, how was your night?

JIM WELLBORN, SHOWBOAT PASSENGER (via telephone): It was kind of sleepless. A lot of activity. I was up in the front of the boat, where they set up an area for the people who are needing medical attention because of my mother-in-law, who has Alzheimer's and 85 years of age.

And then my mom is 76 with a few medical problems so we were up here and so there was a lot of activity because the firefighters came and the water patrol. I think there were at least four people that they took for immediate medical attention.

HOLMES: Now, Jim, you -- we were told at least you didn't have -- or you did have power and there was heat and there was food, but were you at least as comfortable as you could possibly be? I know there are no sleeping quarters on that boat.

WELLBORN: No. There are people all over the place as far as on the carpet and on chairs and a few smaller couches and the personnel on the boat, the Branson Belle, were very, very helpful to bring -- they're not really blankets. I guess, they're tablecloths so a lot of people are wrapped in those.

HOLMES: Sir, let's go back to last night. Again, this was supposed to be, I believe, two hours. You're supposed to get a meal, supposed to get a show. When did you realize at some point yesterday something was wrong?

WELLBORN: Well, I think towards the end of the show, as we were almost back to the dock, there were a couple of loud noises for the motors, I guess, were revving really loud. The comedian said something about hitting an iceberg. Of course, everybody laughed, but then that just kept going.

And finally they made an announcement that they had lost an engine and then later on, they brought some more entertainment out and then later on, they told us that a tugboat was pushing us in.

And then the captain came out and said, hey, we can't -- we've just hit a -- not a sand bar, but it's right close to the shore. All I saw was rocks out there and a lot of -- a lot of wind. There's a lot of waves. There's a lot of -- you can see ice on the shore where the waves were, you know, going up on the rocks. And that's where the small water patrol boat had come with the firemen and taking the people off to the hospital.

HOLMES: Now, Jim, is it still windy and wavy right now? They thought it might die down a little in the morning, and that's when they could finally start possibly pulling that boat into where it needs to be in that harbor. But has there been any indication that you all's rescue, if you will, is going to get under way any time soon?

WELLBORN: No. At this point, we haven't heard anything except the last talk from the captain probably about -- that was probably about 7:30, 8:00.

HOLMES: All right. Well, Jim, we appreciate you. You all hang tight, I suppose. Like you said, some family members of yours, some older family members of yours wrapped in tablecloths right now trying to stay warm, been a long night for you guys. I know.

But we appreciate you sharing your story and your experience with us. And good luck to you, Jim, all right?

WELLBORN: Hey, thanks.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks so much to Jim.

Again, it's about 600 passengers on there, about 70 members of the crew as well. They have been struck there for some 12-plus hours now overnight. Temperatures down into the 20s last night, but just not able to pull that boat into where it needs to be because of those high winds and because of those choppy waves. So, we will continue to check in with them.

Top of the hour here to you.

Hello once again. I'm T.J. Holmes.

Monster storms we've been talking about. A lot of folks have been digging out because of this record amount of snow we've seen in some places. Cities, for the most part, just completely shut down, you could say. People have been wrecking their cars left and right. And it is not over just yet. It's not over because that same storm system that hit so many parts of the Midwest now moving to the east, going to cause some problems.

But, yes, here we are, top of the hour. From the CNN Center, this is your CNN SUNDAY MORNING for this December the 12th. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could be here with us.

But a lot to talk about, including a weather situation over in Washington state, rain causing the problem there, a mud slide there. It stopped Amtrak train service between Seattle and Portland.

So, a dangerous situation there, but really, more so, it's going to be problems with people trying to travel on the roads in the Midwest today. But also, people are trying to fly as this storm system begins to move east a little bit.

Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider has been on this for us for the past day or so, telling us about it yesterday when it was coming. You said it was coming. It's here, and it's not done.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No. And we're just talking about Branson, Missouri, where the passengers are stuck.

HOLMES: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: It's still windy there. It's 25-mile-per-hour wind gusts. Wind chill factor in the single digits. So, treacherous weather there, pretty much everywhere.

Wait until you can see all these advisories. You know, yesterday, the kind of stop over in the Midwest. Today, they're all the way to the Northeast and further South. As far south as Alabama and Georgia, we're looking at wintry weather. Nashville is under a wintry weather advisory.

And the blizzard warnings persist all the way back out through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. And then check this out, winter weather advisories are now posted for the Northeast. We're looking at wind and rain kind of sliding across the New England area as well.

Let's open up the scope now and we'll talk a little bit about the South, because we are going to see wintry weather here. Temperatures are going to plummet down into the freezing mark. We're also looking at a lot of advisories posted all the way down to south Florida.

Now, this is for inland Miami Dade and Broward County. Notice this little area here. Miami itself not under the advisory, it's for a hard freeze. We're also looking at wind chill advisories. Temperatures will be getting down to freezing as far south as Fort Lauderdale, I think.

So, we'll be looking at some really cold numbers. This is for tonight and into tomorrow night.

The big picture in terms of radar shows a lot of activity. I mean, we are talking about snow across parts of the West. And then lots of rain in advance of it. And through parts of the mountains and to Tennessee and North Carolina and Virginia, it's a wintry mix, which is even more dangerous to drive on because that's when we're talking about icy conditions in that area.

In the South, we're looking at some very heavy thunderstorms that are rolling through, particularly down into the Florida area. What we're looking at is definitely some heavy downpours of rain, particularly on I-10. That's where the rain is the most intense, and that's where we're getting some of the heaviest downpours across this region. Some very heavy thunderstorms, and we're watching, again, for winter weather advisories in this region as this cold air plummets further to the south.

Now, in terms of snowfall totals, as we go through the next 24 to 48 hours, we're looking at some very heavy snow levels accumulating, particularly right here into parts of Michigan. Watch out for that. Also into Illinois, Ohio -- this will all be lake effect snow as we go through. And then the bitterly cold temperatures will start to really take shape into Monday and Tuesday.

Look at this. Low pressure over much of the Northeast, and then we're looking at wind chill factor down to even negative two into parts of Tennessee. So, it's going to be super cold and uncomfortable.

Driving conditions have just been treacherous across Minnesota. We have pictures to show you of what the roads have looked like.

Now, you have to remember that even though, you know, people in Minnesota -- sure, they're used to this kind of weather. But when the rain -- snowfall totals are coming down an inch to two inches an hour. The winds are blowing at 45 miles per hour. Even the snow plows and the most experienced snow plow drivers, they just can't keep up because the wind pushes the snow back on the roads after the road is plowed. So, that's been a problem as we have been watching this blizzard work its way across Minnesota.

Now, T.J., it's important to note it has stopped snowing in a lot of places like Minneapolis. But the cold air is just setting in. Tonight, the wind chills will be dangerous, just dangerous in Minnesota down to negative 20 in some areas.

HOLMES: All right, Bonnie. We appreciate you being on it for us this morning. Bonnie Schneider, we'll continue to check in with her plenty throughout the morning.

We want to turn back to some news now, back to some developing news out of Stockholm. Two explosions there that the Swedish government is calling a terrorist attack -- the blast in central Stockholm yesterday killed one man. Police believe that man could be the bomber. Two other people injured.

Swedish police say it could have been catastrophic because the bombs targeted a popular shopping area. A terrorism expert says he does not think the bomber acted alone.

We're also keeping a close eye on the recovery of diplomat Richard Holbrooke. He is in critical condition at George Washington University Hospital after having emergency surgery for a torn aorta. The 69-year-old envoy is the Obama administration's special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan. He's best known for brokering the Dayton peace accords back in 1995.

More fireworks are expected over the president's compromise tax cut plan tomorrow. A key vote is coming up. We'll have details of it for you.

Plus, take a look. The official engagement pictures of Kate and William. It's seven minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Eight minutes past the hour. We should offer a prize to whoever can identify this picture. You can't really tell in there, but in the fog, right in the back, that is the capital, the U.S. Capitol out of Washington, D.C.

We've got some weather moving across the country. It could affect Washington at some point. But it's been some frigid temperatures throughout the Midwest. And now, that storm system is moving east over in that direction.

But good morning to you folks in Washington, D.C. Good morning to you all at nine minutes past the hour.

The Senate is all set to begin voting on the Bush-era tax cuts extension negotiated by the White House and Republicans last week. Tomorrow, senators will begin a procedural vote on the tax cut extensions and then on extending unemployment benefits for millions of unemployed people. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office says the legislative package will add some $893 billion to the federal deficit over the next five years. Excuse me. Senate conservatives have already pledged to filibuster to prevent a vote because the tax cuts and benefits add to the deficit.

Also, we go now from nonpartisan politics to some Republican presidential hopefuls. Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser has all the details in our look ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, T.J.

New York City's mayor tops our look at the political week ahead. Michael Bloomberg, who's an independent, joins with some leading Democrats and Republicans and other some independents to launch a new group that hopes to find nonpartisan solutions to some of the country's problems. The group is called No Labels, and it kicks off tomorrow in New York City.

Also this week, two men who may want to run for the Republican presidential nomination, they visit states that play a crucial role in race for the White House. Former Senator Rick Santorum speaks to activists and GOP leaders Wednesday in Iowa.

And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich headlines the Republican Party dinner in South Carolina on Thursday. Would any of these presidential contenders head to states as Iowa, South Carolina, or New Hampshire, we take notice -- T.J.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Thanks to our Paul Steinhauser.

Coming up, a Christmas duet from two comedians has gone viral now. Josh Levs is here with that -- Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, here's a little clip of it. Take a look at this here.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: This is a remake of a Christmas duet by two singers. I'm going to tell you the story behind this new video from collegehumor.com and who the two comedians are.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Twelve minutes past the hour now. Two stars who you wouldn't expect to put out a song together have gone viral with a Christmas duet. Josh Levs is bringing that to us now -- Josh.

LEVS: Yes. You know, I showed a little clip of it before the break. Everyone is talking about this now because it's not what you would expect to be a Christmas song, but it is. They did a really good job with it. It's from collegehumor.com. And the two stars are Jason Siegel and Jack Black. They're doing a cover of something called "Peace on Earth" and "Little Drummer Boy. The song was made famous by Bing Crosby and David Bowie, who sang together in 1977.

Take a look at this.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: They did a great job with it. You know, I know Jack Black can sing, but Jason Siegel is pulling his own there too. It's getting a lot of clicks. And it's just really interesting that they would decide to do this really nice message, too. Not too many jokes along the way, just do a nice duet.

All right. Also viral for you this weekend. You're going to love this. It's a high school girls basketball game. Watch what happens. Last minute shot. Listen to the announcer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Throws it up. Aaaooohhh!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Everyone is talking about that announcer out there. This is Roseville High in Minnesota. A one-point win over rival Totino Grace High. The point guard Jacqlyn Poss made the winning throw.

This video is from 623 Productions. This is the district cable TV for the Roseville area schools. You know, this can happen -- one little town, one big moment, millions of people start watching it online. This was picked up by Yahoo!, and everyone is talking about this video now.

All right. Next top viral video for you -- we can watch that shot. All right. Next viral video.

This cat, look what happens here. This cat way up high on what appears to be a telephone wire and a crew goes up to help the cat. And right when they're getting there to give the cat some help, he says no thanks, jumps all the way down, and is completely fine. It's a 30-foot jump through a few high power lines.

Cat is taken away completely fine. Apparently, didn't mind the jump. Just did mind people going up there and offering the help.

And speaking of animals, everyone is talking about online. There's a new dancing one, salsa dog.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Salsa dog. (INAUDIBLE). He's got the moves.

And we can end on the last adorable video of the week that everyone is talking about. A cute kid kept trying to take a first drink of water from a hose. People are calling this cuteness overload.

As a father of two boys, I agree. It is super cute. Watch him trying to get that first drink out of a hose. Oh, man, love it.

As always, all the latest viral videos are posted for you on my Facebook page, JoshLevsCNN. It's our weekly dessert. After all the hard news, we get to have some fun with these great videos. So, go there, check them out. Let us know your favorites. We'll have some of those for you next week.

T.J., back to you.

HOLMES: All right. Josh, thank you.

I want to turn now to pictures. Let's just put these pictures up.

You know, Prince William is going to be getting married to Kate Middleton. These are the official engagement photos. These were just released this weekend. I didn't know couples actually had official engagement photos. So, I blew that.

But this couple's going to be married April 29th, as we know, 2011, at Westminster Abbey. The prince proposed not too long ago. They've been dating for the most part for eight years. It was all the rage when, of course, he proposed in Africa, I believe it was, Mount Kenya. But these are making it even more official now. And so, get ready for more royal wedding news as we get ready for the big wedding coming up in April of next year.

Well, think back to 1992. George Bush, Herbert Walker Bush, Bush 41, he was president. The western "Unforgiven," you remember that? It was the best picture in 1992.

You know what else happened that year? Brett Favre became as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. And, you know, since 1992 he has not missed a single start, 297 straight games since then. But now, that historic streak is in some serious jeopardy. But the weather may have helped out a bit. We'll explain that.

Seventeen minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Nineteen minutes past the hour now.

Staying true to the competitive spirit. Despite any shortcomings, our photojournalist Drew Cook from our affiliate WAVE sent us this story.

Willy is the name. He's suffering from cerebral palsy. Disorder affects parts of the brain and central nervous system. But he is not letting anything hold him back from that desire to compete.

He's tried other sports. He chose wrestling. He says what he likes about it is everyone in wrestling is equal. And he does compete.

I'm here with Joe Carter now of HLN Sports -- and I know you all did this story as well. But this is the first time I've gotten the chance to see the video, but had read the story.

JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, the coach says that -- his coaches say that, even though he can't use his legs, his arms are strong as an ox, which in wrestling, if you've got good strong arms, you can be successful. Yes.

HOLMES: All right. It's great to see him compete. But yes, you're joining me here. A couple of things to talk about, a couple of things on our plate, including this streak. Now, Brett Favre since 1992, 297 games, I got it right, he started every game.

CARTER: Right.

HOLMES: All right? And so many times, we thought, OK, maybe, is this going to be the weekend? Is this going to be the weekend? Is this going to be the weekend that the streak ends?

CARTER: You know, he's going to get an extra day.

HOLMES: Yes.

CARTER: And this may prove to be the reason why the streak extends, OK? Because right now, Minnesota is getting absolutely hammered by snow, two feet supposed to fall there.

And safety officials, the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings, they say, you know what, too much safety concerns surrounding this snow, surrounding the stadium in and around it. We've decided we're going to go ahead and postpone the game that was supposed to be Sunday against the Vikings and Giants. We're going to move it to Monday night, 8:00 p.m.

Kickoff can be seen in the Minneapolis and New York areas. So, people in those areas are going to get to see two Monday night football games.

HOLMES: Yes.

CARTER: But, yes, Brett Favre may have an opportunity to rest that shoulder one more day and make his 298th consecutive start. I don't think I've done anything 298 times in a row. It's incredible.

HOLMES: I haven't even woken up 298 straight days. But also, the Giants can't even get to them. Any word on when the Giant -- they were stuck in Kansas City.

CARTER: Yes, their plane got diverted to Kansas City because of the weather. They had to stay there overnight. They slept there at a hotel. They're getting up this morning and are going to try to make their way to Minneapolis as soon as possible.

It also affected the players from the Minnesota Vikings as well because they were trying to get to their team hotel to stay overnight. And they apparently travel in that bus, a long time for them to commute throughout the Minneapolis area.

HOLMES: All right. Let's turn to this other story. I'm actually a fan when they mix it up with sports. And they it in a venue not normal, like having a basketball game outside, if you will, or something like that. This was the coolest thing ever yesterday, a hockey game.

CARTER: Yes. You know, we've seen the NHL start this. Back in '08, they started the Winter Classic, doing a hockey game outdoors. This, though, is something really special because it's happening at a college football stadium between two college hockey teams.

HOLMES: Wow.

CARTER: You've got Michigan State and Michigan. Two instate rivals going down at the big house. They're dubbing it the big chill at the big house -- 113,000-plus showed up to watch that game.

HOLMES: That's crazy.

CARTER A world record crowd in the Guinness World Record people were actually in attendance. And because of technology, they were able to announce the fact that it was a record on spot during the game because they used the bar codes on the tickets to each -- individually scan each ticket instead of doing the number of tickets sold beforehand and have to recalculate it later.

Michigan won the game five-to-nothing if anybody wants to know the final.

HOLMES: If anybody cares.

But was that -- is hockey just big? I have to let you know here. But is hockey just big or, well, a lot of people just want to be part of this event?

CARTER: I think a combination of both.

HOLMES: OK.

CARTER: I think those are two passionate schools. Those are two great big fan bases. And I think they want to be a part of both.

HOLMES: Great. That's amazing, you get 113,000 people for a hockey game.

All right. Joe, good to see you always. Great stuff. Thank you.

Well, coming up, he was showing you some video. Yes, you know there's a lot going on in the weather when even in the sports section we're talking about weather. But yes, all this freezing rain, dangerous wind, blizzard-like conditions, it is going to be another doozy of a day for a lot of folks. We'll tell you where this storm system is headed next. Stick around.

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HOLMES: Well, the biggest story we have going today really probably is the weather. So many people in the upper Midwest shivering right about now. They're digging out. That will take place later.

Monster-size winter storm is dumping inches and inches of snow in a lot of places. Minnesota seem, like they may have gotten the worst of it. Near record levels reported there.

Much of the same is happening in Wisconsin as well. Authorities there are telling people to stay off the roads.

Melissa McCrady did not listen to those warnings. She's from our CNN affiliate WTMJ. She's joining us now from Wisconsin.

Just kind of teasing you there. Out trying to do your job. It looks like the wind is still whipping up for you guys.

MELISSA MCCRADY, WTMJ REPORTER: Yes, absolutely. That's the biggest problem right now. I'm 25 miles northwest of Milwaukee, in West Bend, and you can tell this wind is coming on strong and whipping pretty fast.

I want to show you the snow. I mean, we're dealing with wind and snow. And it's about six inches of heavy snow. We've already dealt with. It's real heavy and wet, and that always makes, you know, it difficult for people who are out shoveling and plowing.

But it goes to show you just how strong the wind is because the wind is blowing this wet, heavy snow.

I'll have you take a look over here at the flag we've been monitoring all morning. You just see that thing whipping constantly. Now, yes, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has told everyone to stay off the roadways. And this is statewide. They're saying we are expecting 40-mile-per-hour gusts of wind.

And with snow and that wind, it can make for treacherous conditions. Of course, we took it slow on our 25-mile drive here to West Bend, so it wasn't too bad. But the roads are definitely snow covered and we haven't seen too much action so far this morning -- T.J.

HOLMES: One more thing, if you can, quickly for me, Melissa. Any -- what's the word on the number of accidents? And also, any deaths or injuries to report associated with this storm?

MCCRADY: No deaths reported at this time. There have been about a dozen accidents from last night into this morning. But most people are heeding that warning, which I'll be honest, I'm pretty surprised by because we're in Wisconsin. We're used to snow. We're used to some tough driving conditions. But so many times when they put out those warnings, not everybody listens, and there are still those accidents. But I think most people stayed home last night. We're going to have to see how it plays out today as the wind gusts get stronger and more people get out on the roadways.

HOLMES: Well, that's good to hear for at least the time being, Melissa, that they are listening.

Melissa McCrady, we appreciate you giving us an update from there. And to our viewers, we will continue here at the top of the hour with more CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

But for now, I need to hand it over to the good doctor. But we are monitoring this serious weather situation that continues to move east across the country.

Stay with us.