NBC10’s First Alert Weather Team is visiting five area malls over the five days. Why? To promote Severe Winter Weather Week, a week where the team plans to inform our community how we forecast during rough weather, what should be done to stay safe, and what to expect this winter.

Let’s begin by explaining why we’re visiting area malls. Aside from the fact that it’s a great location to meet everyone out in their neighborhoods, the malls NBC10 is visiting are all designated as Weather Ready Ambassadors. That’s a titled doled out to locations across the country that are prepared for dangerous weather, and have a dedication to ensuring safety to anyone affected at the location. It’s a title given out by the National Weather Service.

“All of our security guards have grab and go bags that they are able to grab in the case of any kind of emergency,” said Philadelphia Premium Outlets Marketing Director Kate Johnson.

All of the malls under the Simon Property Group umbrella, including the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, are part of the Weather Ready Nation. The initiative, which is ran by the National Weather Service, allows any type of organization, or individual, to join. They must simply be committed to planning safety routines and following the forecast to remain informed and prepared for all weather events.

“The weather service is trying to get more involved in making sure that people are not only getting weather information but are actually prepared to take action based on that information,” Joe Miketta, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Mt. Holly, said.

When Simon Malls decided to join the nation, they reached out the National Weather Service for help preparing their employees.

“It was largely an online training course that our management team went through and our security team as well. So, it told us what to do in events such as tornadoes, severe snow storms which obviously we’re going to be dealing with this winter perhaps, and other types of severe weather that could be coming through,” Johnson said.

As a result of the training, Johnson said Simon malls developed different plans for different locations.

“We are going through an ongoing training process of scheduling training drills and evacuation drills for different types of emergencies that will be worked on with all the different store managers and the employment teams at all of the stores here at the Premium Outlets,” Johnson explained.

For an outdoor mall, Johnson told NBC10 they use “Exit Hallways” or hallways that commonly hold the restrooms, as part of their safety zones.

“There’s no glass, so they’re safe to go to in case of tornadoes, hurricanes, that type of thing.”

Johnson said the malls are each stocked with various emergency supplies as well to keep employees and customers safe.

“It involves evacuation cards, flashlights, first aide kits, things like that that they would need,” she said.

If you are interested in joining the Weather Ready Nation, visit this link.

One of the suggestions to help you remain a successful ambassador? Miketta said each ambassador needs a trusted weather source to keep you updated on the latest forecast. Good news! NBC10 tailors the forecast neighborhood by neighborhood every day and posts those updates to the NBC10 website, app, and on air shows.

A fire damaged part of a Montgomery County school Tuesday leaving students home for the day.

The blaze left three classrooms and two offices at Lakeside School along Chestnut Lane in North Wales, Pennsylvania damaged, said the school in a news release.

No injuries were reported and no one was on campus at the time, said the school.

As SkyForce10 hovered overhead Tuesday morning, you could see a burnt hole in the rear of a school building near a pond.

After closing Tuesday, the school planned to return to session Wednesday with classes being reassigned to other parts of the campus, said the school.

The fire appeared to have started in a heating unit, said the school.

Lakeside School, part of Laskeside Educational Network, serves regular and special education students in ages sixth to 12th grades that offers "a small, structured and nurturing therapeutic environment where academic success is a priority," says the school’s website.

"With Lakeside School’s new and significantly larger classroom building (10 classrooms and 15 offices) due to open next month on the Horsham campus, the damage sustained by last night’s fire presents a relatively minor disruption" said the news release. "We are confident our staff will be able to maintain a calm and stable environment for students when school resumes."

Twitter says it's giving users more tools to combat abuse that's becoming more common on the social media platform.

Users are getting more options for muting tweets they don't want to see, the company said in a blog post Tuesday. Reporting hateful conduct is becoming direct as well, and Twitter's support teams have been retrained on contextualizing hateful conduct so the company can take action faster and more transparently.

"We don't expect these announcements to suddenly remove abusive conduct from Twitter. No single action by us would do that. Instead we commit to rapidly improving Twitter based on everything we observe and learn," the blog post said.

The expanded muting function being rolled out in the coming days allows users to mute phrases, keywords and conversations. Twitter said in the blog post that it's been a commonly requested feature.

Cyberbullying, harassment and abuse are on the rise on Twitter, the company said, and many on the platform have sought more action from Twitter to put an end to it.

Among the many people who have decried cyberbullying is Melania Trump, wife of President-elect Donald Trump. She's said she will make reigning in cyberbullying her priority as first lady.

New Kids on the Block are kicking off another tour starting next spring, and tickets will go on sale this week. The Boston-based 80s boy band will be joined by fellow throwback stars Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men.

"We're bringing happy back," Donnie Wahlberg said on NBC's "Today" show.

The tour, which starts May 12 in Columbus, Ohio, will have a Boston show at Fenway Park on July 8.

Other states the tour will hit: Michigan, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Washington, D.C.  

Tickets go on sale Nov. 19, but Block Nation Fan-Club Members and American Express card members can get advance tickets starting Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Below is the full concert tour schedule:

Montgomery County Commissioner and soon-to-be Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro took part in a conference call Monday evening with President Barack Obama.

Shapiro, who received the most votes of any candidate on statewide ballots in last Tuesday's election (including President-elect Donald Trump), introduced Obama on the call to Democratic politicians and activists from across the country.

The president described Shapiro as a "great guy" as Shapiro himself was introduced to the hundreds of people on the call by acting Democratic National Committee chairwoman Donna Brazile.

"I am keenly aware of the anxiety many Americans feel right now," said Shapiro, who was endorsed by Obama during the race for attorney general against Republican state Sen. John Rafferty.

In what also amounted to an introduction of himself to the hundreds of Democrats from all corners of the country, Shapiro said, "I will do my part to protect people's rights" as Pennsylvania's top law enforcement official.

Shapiro will take office in January and face the immediate task of re-instilling a sense of pride in the Attorney General's Office following Kathleen Kane's disastrous term.

He told Democrats on the conference call that "perhaps the lesson we can learn from Tuesday is each of us must do our part" to continue fighting for the party's progressive platform.

He said Obama "will continue to be the North Star" of the Democratic Party for years to come.

"I know I will be guided by it and generations of public servants will be too," Shapiro said.

Obama then took over and thanked Shapiro for an "amazing introduction."

The search for a University of Maryland student from New Jersey continued Tuesday after the 21-year-old disappeared after saying she would meet a friend to go camping.

Surveillance footage captured Kaitlyn George leaving her College Park apartment late Thursday afternoon, said University of Maryland police. She then got into a taxi on her own accord, said police.

George -- who hails from Toms River, New Jersey, according to student newspaper The Diamondback -- stand 5-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. She has brown eyes and blonde hair. 

George was last seen wearing black leggings, a green jacket and bright colored socks and was carrying a black and white camping backpack and a pink bag when she left her on-campus apartment.

The cab driver told police he dropped her off in Baltimore's Federal Hill neighborhood. She appeared to get into another vehicle on her own and was last seen Friday morning riding a public bus, said investigators.

She was supposed to meet a friend around 5 p.m. to go on a hiking trip but she never showed, said police.

Investigators do not suspect foul play, but they do want to hear from George.

Anyone with information that can help police is asked to call 301-405-3555.

A Bucks County woman died after falling from an Atlantic City casino garage Monday night.

The woman either accidentally or deliberately fell from the Caesars Hotel and Casino Parking Garage along Michigan Avenue around 10:30 p.m., said Atlantic City Police.

Medics pronounced the 45-year-old Richboro, Pennsylvania woman dead at the scene. Police withheld her identity so they could notify family.

Anyone with information is asked to call ACPD Det. William Anderson at 609-347-5766 or text "ACPD" and your tip to 847411.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take a look back at NBC10 First Alert Weather chief meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz came to love the NBC10 App for neighborhood weather.

NO, IT’S NOT BECAUSE I’M JEALOUS

Here’s a trade secret: Most meteorologists hate most weather apps. They are the incredibly popular and wildly misused forecasts that make meteorologists seem less accurate than they really are. Rather than explain it myself, I’ll let one of the nation’s most respected TV meteorologists, Dan Satterfield do it in his great blog.

(It’s better for him to make specific accusations than for me to do it-I have a history with one of the companies mentioned. He also uses a phrase that’s perfect for the subject, but one I couldn’t get past the censors). [[401296855, C]]

THE PROBLEM WITH (MOST) WEATHER APPS

No matter how much computer models improve, human forecasters can still “beat” them. The numbers that come out of various computer models are called “guidance” in our business. The top synonym for “guidance” in the dictionary is “advice”. It’s not the final word. It is a piece of advice to forecasters: “this is what the_____model suggests as the high temperature”, for example. 

Different models will give different “advice”. No model is perfect. Almost all models have some sort of bias: consistently too warm or cold, too fast or slow with fronts, over-developing storms, etc. Then it’s up to the forecaster to take that all into account and make a decision. Statistics show that human forecasters can “beat” the computer models at all forecast periods (tomorrow, next weekend, etc.). So, as Dan said in his blog, you are not getting the best forecast possible when you check out most apps. 

And will those apps get better? Probably not much, if at all. Who’s there to monitor those thousands of forecasts? If a particular weather model is used for the app, it will make the same mistakes OVER & OVER. The main U.S. model, the GFS, has had a bias of being too cold the farther you go out in time. It also takes a current extreme weather pattern and forces the numbers to get closer to average after about 5 days. All the time! And it’s been making the same type of mistakes for more than 20 years! 

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to get around the idea that your possibly favorite forecast was straight out of a computer? There is! And we have it! 

THE NBC10 APP

OK, so what’s so different with our app? I’m happy to tell you, especially because it is so much work to do what we want to do. Like other apps, we get detailed, automated forecasts for all parts of our area via our weather partner, The Weather Company (formerly WSI Corporation). Those forecasts are known as “default” forecasts. If we’re too busy with tornado warnings, for example, the automated forecasts will go out to nbc10.com and our app. But that happens less than 1% of the time. 

On a normal day, we write down the “default” forecast from The Weather Company for Philadelphia. We also write down the forecasts from other computer models, including the most accurate in the world overall, the European. We have exclusive rights for some of the data from the European that shows what their “advice” is for the high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each day. Then, based on an understanding of each model’s biases, and with many years of forecast experience, we change the “default” numbers to our own. We go out to 10 days. That forecast goes immediately into nbc10.com and our app. 

That’s for Philadelphia. That is not where it ends-it’s just the beginning. We then make similar adjustments to FIVE other forecast areas: PA suburbs, Lehigh Valley & Berks, inland New Jersey, the Jersey Shore, and Delaware. Below is a map of our forecast breakdowns, so you know which area you live in (or travel to). 

[[382765411, C]]

So, now we have in effect made 45 forecasts: 10 days for Philadelphia, and 7 days for 5 different areas. 10+35=45. But we’re not done. If we want to truly call it a “Neighborhood Forecast”, we have to go into more detail. We then chose 3 different neighborhoods from each area. 3x6=18

Our simple math is: 45+18=63 

Yes, we do make 63 separate forecasts EVERY DAY. We try to figure in the effect of sea breezes, fronts that only affect parts of our area, the “urban heat island effect” of Philadelphia, the cooler, sandy soils in New Jersey, the effect of east winds on the higher elevations North and West of Philadelphia, etc. Sometimes a couple of degrees will mean the difference between rain and snow, and those differences will show up in our Neighborhood Forecasts. There are times when the forecast numbers will be close, but other days (especially in winter) where you’ll see 20-30 degree spreads across our region. Of course, our forecasts won’t be right all the time. We can’t be perfect-but we can be the best. And we strive for that every day. 

This process takes hours, and a lot of concentration while the phones are ringing, promos are taped, and on-air graphics made. The web people are asking for a blog on the coming storm. The producers want to know whether the weather is important enough to be the lead story. The promo people want us to tape something for the 4pm news. Reporters want to know if lightning will affect their live shots, and we often check any scripts of weather-related stories for accuracy. 

We can’t make those forecasts earlier in the day. We have to wait for the latest computer model data. So, for example, the period from 2-4 p.m. is constant, detailed, high-pressure work. 

We could just sit back and let the computer models and default forecasts take over, and then go on TV implying that we’re giving you our own forecasts. But, now that we have the technology to deliver detailed Neighborhood Forecasts, we will not settle for anything but our best effort. And you shouldn’t settle for it in other Weather Apps, either. 

After impressing Ellen DeGeneres with his mind-boggling magic tricks in October, Philadelphia Eagles long snapper and magic man Jon Dorenbos returned to 'Ellen' on Tuesday to perform more of his head-scratching mojo. 

Dorenbos was a finalist in this past season of "America's Got Talent."

Dorenbos' Eagles are 5-4 on the season ahead of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

A child is in the hospital after he or she was ejected during an accident on I-295 in Logan Township, Gloucester County.

The crash, which involved one vehicle, occurred in the northbound lanes of I-295 at Exit 11A to 322. A child was thrown out of a vehicle during the accident. The victim was taken to the hospital after suffering serious injuries.

Officials have not yet revealed the child’s condition but say he or she was conscious.

Other people in the vehicle were taken to the hospital as a precaution.

All northbound lanes except for the left lane on I-295 are closed at the scene of the crash.

The best way to prevent deportation and all the events following the intervention of federal authorities is staying informed and joining activist groups in your neighborhood.

That was the recommendation of Blanca Pacheco, co-director of the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, who has been organizing groups of volunteers to counsel, and fight for the human rights of, undocumented immigrants in the Philadelphia area.

Pacheco's growing movement is called "New Sanctuary in the Streets" and involves professionals in the legal, social and religious fields. The plan is to intercede on behalf of immigrants, and not only Hispanics, who face problems with the immigration authorities.

"We are in charge of educating and providing the necessary tools to all the staff to go out," said Pacheco. She also noted that as a result of the new presidential election, the immigration issue is expected to remain at the forefront of the political debate during President-elect Donald Trump's first term.

Anyone interested in joining New Sanctuary can do so here, or by calling (267)333-9530.

To date, 800 people have been recruited and they expect to reach 1,000 volunteers.

Pacheco said the group will operate mostly with individual donations.

"This is a difficult time and we know that there are many people with anger and fear, but we have to transform all that into feelings of action and join local groups because without that support nothing could be done," she said.

A for-profit college called Star Career Academy shuttered its doors Tuesday, including branches in Northeast Philadelphia and South Jersey, according to the school's website.

The school, which had 1,000 students at a handful of satellite branches in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, canceled classes and would not re-open, it said in a statement.

The school blamed poor finances and declining student enrollment in the statement. A spokesman did not immediately respond to a message seeking additional comment.

"Star Career Academy’s closing is the result of the negative financial impact of a continued declining student population while operating in the challenging for-profit post-secondary school industry," the statement read. "Star Career Academy has done everything in its power to prevent closure after operating for 37 years and providing a supportive educational environment for thousands of students."

On its website, the school provided some details about who the closure affects current students' credits, loans and transcripts. 

"We will be performing the required Return to Title IV refund calculations over the next 30 days. Once that process is completed, you can begin your application for student loan discharge," the site read.

A man is recovering after he was shot in the arm while visiting his friend inside a home in the Strawbery Mansion section of Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.

The 69-year-old man was watching television inside his friend's home on the 2600 block of Stanley Street at 4:37 p.m. when a gunman outside fired six shots. 

A bullet went through the window and struck the man in the shoulder. The man was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is currently in stable condition.

No arrests have been made and police have not recovered the weapon. They are also unsure whether the victim was the gunman's intended target.

Two men are fighting for their lives following a double shooting in North Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.

A 58-year-old man and another man were on the 2100 block of Indiana Avenue at 3:20 p.m. when a gunman opened fire. The 58-year-old was struck twice in the stomach while the other victim was struck once in the back.

Both victims were taken to Temple University Hospital where they are in critical condition.

No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered.