Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Phil Murphy Faces Daunting Issues After Winning NJ Governor's Race: When Bob Oppenheimer started selling houses in New Jersey 30 years ago, taxes didn’t elicit the guttural scorn from residents that they do these days. Over the course of the Realtor’s career, he watched property taxes grow into the issue that entangles almost all other aspects of life in the Garden State — and into the king of all political albatrosses. “Look, with taxes, I don’t think there’s an issue with paying for what you get,” says Oppenheimer, who is president of the 50,000-member New Jersey Realtors Association. “It’s how fast do they increase and what exactly are they funding.” Reigning in taxes now becomes the priority of Phil Murphy, the Democrat who won Tuesday in the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Chris Christie. Murphy defeated Kim Guadagno, the current Republican lieutenant governor, in the general election Tuesday.

• MORE ON THE ELECTION RESULTS
  

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Pa. State Police Corporal Shot; Suspect in Custody: What started as a routine traffic stop in Northampton County Tuesday morning ended with a Pennsylvania State Police corporal shot three times and a suspect in custody, state police said. Daniel Khalil Clary, 22, is charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and other related offenses, according to the Northampton County District Attorney. The ordeal unfolded shortly before 11 a.m. in Plainfield Township on PA State Route 33 near State Route 191 when a trooper pulled over a Pontiac sedan for speeding. The trooper returned to his car assuming the exchange was over, but the driver, identified by officials as Clary, got out of his car and flagged the trooper to approach, police said. When the trooper again talked to Clary, he became suspicious the suspect was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, state police said. A second trooper arrived on the scene and two officers proceeded to do a field sobriety test on the driver, according to state police. The officers determined they had probable cause to arrest Clary, but instead of cooperating, he began to "violently resist," state police said. The confrontation continued to escalate from there.

• MORE ON THE SHOOTING
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Wednesday is expected to see cooler temperatures in the 50s and cloudy skies.  Thursday and Friday could also see cloudy skies and 50 degree temperatures. Thursday could see some spotty showers in the evening. Friday could see a chilly morning in the 30s. Sun and clouds are expected for Saturday and Sunday. Monday and Tuesday could see rain. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

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Phillies Legend Roy Halladay Dies in Plane Crash: Legendary Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay has died in a plane crash, according to officials. He was 40. Halladay's ICON A5 plane went down just after noon in the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday. It landed upside down in shallow water about a quarter mile west of Ben Pilot Point in New Port Richey, Florida, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said. No Mayday calls were made to Tampa Air Traffic Control and the 911 call came in at 12:06 p.m., officials said. The sheriff's office marine unit along with Pasco Fire Rescue and the Coast Guard responded to the downed plane and found Halladay's body. No one else was on board the plane.

• MORE ON THE CRASH
  

AROUND THE WORLD

Democrats Sweep Virginia, NJ Governor's Races: Voters in Virginia and New Jersey gave Democratic gubernatorial candidates large victories Tuesday and sent a clear message of rebuke to Republican President Donald Trump. In Virginia's hard-fought contest, Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam defeated Republican Ed Gillespie. In New Jersey, front-running Democrat Phil Murphy overcame Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno to succeed unpopular GOP Gov. Chris Christie. Democrats swept all three of Virginia's statewide races, including contests for attorney general and lieutenant governor. Several incumbent state House Republicans also lost their seats. The wins in Virginia and New Jersey are a morale boost to Democrats who had so far been unable to channel anti-Trump energy into success at the ballot box in a major election this year.

• MORE ON THE ELECTION RESULTS
  

That's what you need to know to Catch Up Quickly, but we've got more stories worthy of your time. Click here to check them out. 

NBC10's Deanna Durante highlights some of the aspects that make Horsham, Montgomery County a great place to live.

NBC10's Matt DeLucia met with Kurt Gray, with AAA, to go over tips for safe driving. Cell phones, conversations and not giving yourself enough space are just some of the reasons Gray gave for distractions that could lead to crashes.

Philadelphia children are learning lots of new things thanks to some unique teachers in an atypical program. NBC10's Deanna Durante has the story about how the Irish Pub Children's Foundation is closing the gap between children and police officers.

One of the Philadelphia Zoo's most memorable animals has died. The zoo announced Wednesday that Ben, their 23-year-old Asiatic black bear, was euthanized due to a skin tumor in his paw.

The zoo’s veterinary staff and professionals from the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School tried removing the tumor, but after a second biopsy post-surgery, oncologists and surgeons saw that the cancer was moving deeper into his paw.

The chances of successful treatment were low, according to the Philadelphia Zoo.

It was then that the team decided euthanasia would be the most humane option for the bear, as Ben would not live a high quality of life with the cancer still in his foot, the zoo stated.

Ben was born at the Natural Bridge Zoological Park in Virginia in August, 1994. He arrived in Philadelphia in April of 2002.

Ben was very popular and beloved by the zoo’s staff and its guests, the zoo said. Guests shared their condolences after the zoo made the announcement on Facebook.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden were in Philadelphia discussing innovations in cancer research. NBC10's Lauren Mayk has the story.

A new bed and adjustable frame caused an unexpected issue for a local woman. When it couldn't get fixed, she contacted Harry Hairston and NBC10 Responds.

Do you live in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and still have a campaign sign in your yard after Election Day? Don’t throw it out. Recycle it!

From now until November 13, Montgomery County residents may drop off their campaign signs and stakes at the following locations for recycling during normal operating hours:

Abington Township Highway Yard
2201 Florey Lane
Abington, PA 19038
 
Cheltenham Township Public Works Facility
8101 Old York Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027

Borough of Collegeville Municipal Building
491 E. Main Street
Collegeville, PA 19426

Douglass Township Recycling Center
108 Municipal Drive
Gilbertsville, PA 19525

Horsham Township Building
1025 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA 19044

Lower Merion Transfer Station
1300 North Woodbine Avenue
Penn Valley, PA 19072

Lower Salford Township Municipal Building
379 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438

Montgomery County Democratic Committee Headquarters
21 East Airy Street
Norristown, PA 19401
Drop off in parking lot behind building

Montgomery Township Administration Building
1001 Stump Road
Montgomeryville, PA 18936
 
Upper Dublin Township Building
801 Loch Alsh Avenue
Fort Washington, PA 19034
 
Whitemarsh Township Administration Building
616 West Germantown Pike
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444

Whitpain Township Administration Building
960 Wentz Road
Blue Bell PA, 19422

For more information on Montgomery County recycling programs, visit their website or call 610-278-3618.

Nearly one in three children in Camden, New Jersey live in poverty and cannot afford basic necessities, like a winter coat. But this year, close to 500 coats were donated to Camden children, thanks to Horizon Services, Operation Warm, and Camden Firefighters.

On Wednesday at the Riletta Twyne Cream Family School in Camden children had the opportunity to line up and receive a brand-new coat.

“By giving children new coats [Horizon Services] are not only providing them with physical warmth, but emotional warmth as well," Director of Marketing at Operation Warm Brock Clauser said. "A brand-new coat for a child in need, particularly right before the holidays, brings them so much joy and hope."

Horizon Services and Operation Warm -- a national nonprofit dedicated to providing coats to those in need -- have partnered up for the seventh year in a row to provide winter warmth for these children. With the volunteer help of Camden Firefighters, each child got the chance to be personally fitted for their new jacket.

Since 2010 Horizon Services has helped donate more than 3,000 new coats to the community through Operation Warm and firefighter and employee volunteer programs.

“It’s easy to take for granted a necessity like a coat that most of us have, but for these children, it’s a necessity their families may not be able to afford," Mark Aitken, co-owner of Horizon Services said. "I am glad that our company can not only provide a coat, but that our employees can participate in this event and see their excitement and appreciation first hand when they receive their brand new coat."

For more information about Operation Warm, visit operationwarm.org.

When it comes to winter, the NBC10 First Alert Weather Team uses a lot of terms to describe precipitation. There’s rain, snow, sleet, even freezing rain! But why do some areas see different types of precipitation than others? It’s all about what’s going on up in the sky!

Take a look at the image below.

Temperatures are typically much cooler high in the sky than they are on the ground. That means that when precipitation forms in the clouds this time of year, it begins as snow.

When a flake falls from the cloud, it passes through air that may gradually warm as the flake falls to the ground.

If the temperature is still near or below freezing at the surface, then the flake lands on the ground as snow. It’s frozen precipitation.

How about the opposite?

If a snowflake falls into an area of warm air (above 32 degrees), then it melts. If the warm air continues all the way to the ground, then the precipitation is called rain. It’s liquid precipitation. 

Now let’s talk about the “tricky” forms of winter precipitation.

Sometimes, warm air will wedge into the atmosphere. It may just barely slice into the sky, or it may take up a good period of the flakes’ fall. You can see this example in the image above. This results in two different “wintry” conditions.

When the snowflake falls from the sky into an area of warm air, it melts into a raindrop. However, sometimes a thin layer of very cold air hugs the ground. If the rain drop enters the cold surface air (near or below 32 degrees) the raindrop may become “supercooled." This means it doesn’t have enough time to freeze, but it’s cold enough too. Once it hits a cold object like a tree, power line, vehicle, or road, it freezes. This type of precipitation is called freezing rain. This is especially hazardous because it can create black ice, or cause tree limbs to snap due to the added weight from the ice.

Now, if the warm air just barely slices into the column of air the flake falls into, it has a different effect on what we see on the ground. The snowflake may melt or partially melt once it enters the warm air, and turn into a raindrop or slush. However, if it enters a period of colder air again as it continue to fall and has enough time, it will refreeze into a frozen raindrop. This isn’t the same as a snowflake, because it formed differently and its structure is different. It’s literally a frozen drop of water. This is called sleet. Sleet typically bounces, but can accumulate into piles. You can remember this by remembering the phrase “sleet has a beat." You can hear it!

So why is this important for us?

We often see different types of precipitation in different neighborhoods! Colder areas (Poconos, Lehigh Valley, Berks, and even the PA Suburbs) more often see snow in winter. That’s because these areas regularly keep temperatures near freezing during precipitation events. So, the precipitation hits the ground as snow.

However, during some storms, warmer ocean air will wedge into our atmosphere. Last March (2016), this occurred. The result? The shore saw rain, portions of Delaware, New Jersey and Philadephia saw sleet and freezing rain, and portions of the PA Suburbs and Lehigh Valley/Berks Co/Poconos saw snow! The warm air thinned as it stretched inland, and created a major ice storm for some and snow storm for others. That’s why we do neighborhood weather. We don’t all see the same thing, because we aren’t all dealing with the same atmospheric conditions!

Phase I of the construction of Schuylkill Yards, a 14-acre development master-planned by Brandywine Realty Trust in conjunction with Drexel University, began on Wednesday.

The first phase of the $3.5 billion multi-year project involves creating a 1.3 acre community park, called Drexel Square, at the corner of 30th and Market streets, reinventing the former Bulletin Building and develop two of the towers on JFK Boulevard.

“All great cities have great public spaces," said Drexel University President, John Fry. "Drexel Square will be Philadelphia’s next signature square – a sixth square adding to the five originally created by William Penn. Drexel Square is the keystone to the larger transformative development project at Schuylkill Yards, conceived by Drexel University and brought to life through a partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust."

Designed to unite Center City, Schuylkill Yards will also produce 4.6 acres of entrepreneurial space, educational facilities, laboratories, offices, retail and residential spaces, hospitality venues, and open public spaces.

Its goal over the course of the next 15-20 years is to bring Philadelphia a next-generation innovation community complete with a combination of repurposed buildings, new high-rises with world-class design, and a diverse network of public spaces programmed for regular community engagement and enjoyment.

Along with Schuylkill Yards’ groundbreaking, Brandywine plans to implement a $5.6 million neighborhood engagement program focused on small business development, job creation, and affordable housing.

“Today we take the first steps in making this large-scale innovation community a reality," said Jerry Sweeney, President and CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust. "As Brandywine continues to expand the West Philadelphia skyline, we do so with a forward-thinking, inclusive approach to the future. We embrace the changing habits of how people are living, creating, working and spending their time. We are proud that our first project in Schuylkill Yards will deliver a green public gathering space where the community can connect, interact and share experiences."

To help in the development of Schuylkill Yards, Brandywine Realty Trust leads an experience team including developer Gotham Organization, Inc., Longfellow Real Estate Partners, SHoP Architects, and West 8 Landscape Architects.

To learn more, click here.

The shooting of a Pennsylvania State Trooper is raising concerns about safety for law enforcement officers during traffic stops. NBC10's Aaron Baskerville took a look at how quickly those stops can go wrong.

A Bucks County mother is on a mission to put cyberstalkers in jail after her own daughter was a victim. NBC10's Drew Smith has the details on how a new bill could finally help the law catch up with technology.

Daniel Khalil Clary was arraigned Wednesday afternoon while lying in a hospital bed at Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest.

He was recovering from multiple gunshot wounds sustained during a dramatic shootout with Pennsylvania State Police that started as a simple traffic stop along a busy highway Tuesday morning.

The 22-year-old was hit in the neck, side and hand. He will be transferred to jail when he is healthy enough to move, state police said.

The drama unfolded Tuesday morning around 10:15 a.m. when Clary was pulled over for speeding on State Route 33 near State Route 191 in Plainfield Township, Northampton County.

Trooper Ryan Seiple suspected Clary was high on marijuana and called for backup to conduct to a field sobriety test, state police said. When Cpl. Seth Kelly arrived, the officers determined Clary was intoxicated. They attempted to arrest him, but he “violently” fought back and wrestled the officers to the ground as cars zoomed by, according to investigators.

Investigators say Clary escaped the tussle, ran back to his vehicle, grabbed a semi-automatic weapon and began shooting. The officers fired back, striking him in the neck, torso and hand, state police said.

Kelly was shot multiple times, but used a police-issued tourniquet to reduce blood flow. The quick thinking likely saved Kelly’s life, state police said.

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During the chaos, Clary escaped in his car and drove himself to Easton Hospital. There, he confessed to shooting at officers and attempting to disarm them, state police said.

He was taken to Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest for surgery.

On Wednesday afternoon, a moving truck could be seen parked outside his family’s home in Monroe County. The Effort, Pennsylvania, neighborhood - located near Mt. Pocono - was mostly quiet as his mother busily prepared to move.

“We’re going through enough,” Clary’s mother told NBC10 before asking reporters to leave her property.

Clary’s family already planned on moving out of their home a neighbor told NBC10.

“It’s a little unsettling to know something like that happened,” Lucia Figueiredo said. “I don’t know if he has issues but if he does, i hope that he gets the help that he needs.”

Clary, is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, in addition to two counts of criminal homicide, assault of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and other related offenses, according to charging documents.

He has one previous minor charge of disorderly conduct from 2014. He pleaded guilty and paid $191 in court fees.

Clary graduated from Easton High School in 2012, according to his Facebook page.

As Pennsylvania state police Cpl. Seth Kelly lay sprawled on a berm off a highway Tuesday morning and bleeding profusely from bullet wounds, a decision he made earlier in his shift saved his life.

Kelly had a standard-issued tourniquet attached to his utility belt, and he used it to stop the bleeding from a leg wound. A state police official later said Kelly’s decision to keep the tourniquet on his person instead of leaving it in the vehicle with the first aid kit “more than likely” saved his life.

The trooper, who remains in critical condition and faces another surgery sometime this week, is the latest in recent memory to have the smarts and the luck to use a tourniquet in an emergency. Other examples include Philadelphia police Officer Jesse Hartnett, who was attacked in an ambush-style shooting last year.

The medical device, simple in its application, has seen its profile rise quickly as a way to treat wounds before a patient gets to the hospital. Much of its popularity originated from research over the last two decades dating to the Iraq War that found blood loss was a major factor in shooting deaths.

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That research combined with a new approach in the emergency rooms across America to put blood loss prevention at the top of the priority list for trauma victims.

And in more recent years, that priority has made its way to the streets and highways. Tourniquets embody the expansion.

They have become part of first aid kits found in every Pennsylvania state police patrol vehicle, a spokesman for the agency said Wednesday. That has been the case for several years.

However, equipping a tourniquet while on duty is not yet mandatory of every trooper, spokesman Ryan Tarkowski said.

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“It’s not mandated that they have them on their belts,” Tarkowski said. “It was with some luck that [Cpl. Kelly] chooses to put one on his belt on a day this happens.”

In the span of a month in 2016, two Philadelphia officers used tourniquets on themselves to slow the bleeding from bullet wounds. Hartnett applied one to his arm following his shooting in April 2016. Officer Scott McCullough used one on his thigh for a leg wound in May 2016.

A city police spokeswoman said Wednesday that, like state police vehicles, city patrol vehicles are also all equipped with tourniquets.

Hospitals, including Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, are now teaching some segments of the general public how to apply tourniquets. Doctors have taught workers at places like the Pennsylvania Convention Center and teachers at Philadelphia schools.

Local efforts are part of a national campaign called “Stop the Bleed,” which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Its goal is “to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.”

The earliest applications of tourniquet research learned on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan has its roots in Philadelphia trauma units in the early 1990s.

At the time, trauma surgeons at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania began emphasizing the prevention of blood loss as the crucial first step in saving lives of gunshot victims.

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Two of those surgeons eventually co-authored a medical paper that coined the phrase “damage-control surgery."

More than two decades later, a Pennsylvania state trooper is alive because of the greater awareness that blood loss must be slowed as soon as possible — and the growing prevalence of tourniquets.

“Cpl. Kelly had the wherewithal to actually wear it on his belt because that’s, obviously, that’s where it came in handy for him,” state police Capt. Richard D’Ambrosio said. “Usually when you need it, you’re outside of the car.”

If you like a lot of snow, this winter may not be your favorite season.

That’s one of the main highlights from my 21st annual Long-Range Winter Forecast.

After crunching all the numbers and analyzing everything from air patterns to ice in the Arctic, it looks like we’re going to have a mild winter and less snow than our average. I’m going to outline the forecast first and then go into detail about what’s at play.

I’m not expecting that we’ll see a single huge snowstorm. We will likely get several smaller snow events, however.

As for temperatures, overall they’ll be milder, but January and February won’t be as warm as last year. Still, February will be the warmest month of this winter. December will actually be colder than average, though.

Let’s get into the specifics for Philadelphia:

MONTH          SNOW        TEMPS     

DECEMBER      4 in.          -1 degree

JANUARY         6 in.          +2 degrees

FEBRUARY       4 in.          +4 degrees

MARCH            1 in.          +2 degrees

TOTAL: 12-18 inches
(Normal, by the way, is 22.4 inches)

As for other cities in our area, here are my estimated seasonal snow forecasts:

• Allentown: 31 inches — 2 in. below normal

• Downingtown: 24 inches — 4 in. below normal

• Wilmington: 12 inches — 7 in. below normal

• Atlantic City: 9 inches — 8 in. below normal

• Millville: 7 inches — 6 in. below normal

• The Poconos: 63 inches — 6 in. below

So how did we get here? Here are the factors I look at to develop the forecast:

LA NINA

It sure looks like a La Nina, a weather pattern that features cooler-than-average sea temperatures, is developing in the Tropical Pacific.

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The blue colors on the bottom figure represent below average ocean temperatures. That’s the La Nina (if they were red, it would be an El Nino). The colors aren’t dark blue, which would be moderate or strong.

A small area near the coast of South America is coldest of all. That’s why some are calling this an “East-based Nina.”

There is evidence that East-based Nina’s are more favorable for cold and snow than “West-based.” But if you remove the strong El Nino’s and La Nina’s, the difference is only about 5 inches of snow for the season (on average).

Another question is: Will the La Nina last through the whole winter? The forecast says: Yes...sort of.

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Many different computer models are shown above, just like we see with "ensemble forecasts" with winter storms and hurricanes.

A number lower than negative .05 is considered a La Nina (the lower the number, the stronger the La Nina). Most models keep the La Nina weak through the winter. A few strengthen it, and a few weaken it to a “neutral” category.

I’ll use the average, and assume a weak La Nina through the winter. Even if it weakens some, the effects can linger for months afterward.

THE WARM OCTOBER FACTOR

The great local forecaster, Tony Gigi, of the National Weather Service, has done research on the connection between a warm fall and a relatively warm and un-snowy winter.

He uses the combination of October and November. Since we just had the second warmest October ever recorded here, it wouldn’t take a very warm November to put Tony in the milder, less snowy camp.

Me, too, especially after seeing this map of what the warmest fall combinations have looked like for the upcoming winter.

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That’s a very mild winter in our part of the country. The warmest month relative to normal was February.

THE AO AND NAO

If you’ve followed winter forecasts over the years, you know how big a factor the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) can be.

Negative values for either the AO or the NAO are directly related to blocking patterns in the upper atmosphere that end up favoring cold and snow in our area.

Our snowiest winter of all, 2009-10, with a whopping 78.7 inches, was largely influenced by a strong and consistent negative-AO.

The problem is: It’s really hard to predict the AO or NAO months in advance. They tend to be much more variable than other patterns in the oceans.

There have been some recent advances in those predictions, and they suggest our winter will probably be dominated by a positive AO. That would favor mild with less snow than normal.

SIBERIA AND EURASIA OCTOBER SNOW

This is one I’ve looked at for more than a decade, but it only recently has become widely discussed among forecasters.

Dr. Judah Cohen has pioneered this research, which shows that October snow in Siberia and Eurasia is correlated with our winter weather patterns.

His latest report shows a much slower advance of snow than last year:

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The left picture is 2016, and the right, 2017.

THE QBO-INFLUENCE FROM HIGH ABOVE

The Quasi-Biennial Oscillation or QBO is an especially interesting factor for several reasons.

First of all, it happens way up in the stratosphere, above all the clouds and storms. The winds stay in the same direction for perhaps a few years, and then suddenly changes to the opposite direction. And it can have significant impacts on weather patterns below.

The positive-QBO represent winds from the west. It tends to lead to a strong jet stream across the Pacific, and brings mild air our way.

The negative-QBO represents the east winds. That tends to lead to weaker jet streams, which then favor blocking patterns in the atmosphere. That, in turn, favors more cold and snow for us.

The QBO is more easily forecast than other oscillations, since it tends to be much more consistent from month to month. It is currently a negative-QBO, and is expected to continue that way. So, the QBO is a rare factor this year favoring more cold and snow.

THE PDO AND OTHER OCEAN FACTORS

The PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation) has a big influence on weather in the U.S., since it covers so much of the Pacific Ocean just west of us. There are particular patterns that are called "negative" and "positive," just like other oscillations.

Research has shown that a positive-PDO is more favorable for cold and snow in our area. Tony Gigi notes that this is true for 7 of 10 winters. And 6 of 8 winters of negative-PDO were milder, with less snow. As you see, there are no perfect correlations-they just change the odds.

The PDO is hard to predict months in advance, but it seems to be trending more toward the negative.

I can't help but notice the amazingly warm Atlantic waters just off the U.S. East Coast. Records have been set this year for warmest water in many places. Here is a current map:

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That’s a lot of red! There doesn’t seem to be much research into general Atlantic Ocean temperatures, and their effect on winter weather.

Even though most winter weather moves from west to east (making the Pacific important,) a unusual ocean pattern like this has to have an impact. The warmer water will surely add to moisture available for storms, which can lead to more precipitation.

But any ocean wind brings abnormally warm conditions with it. This would likely cause borderline rain/snow type storms and we'd likely wind up in the rain category more often than not. At least that’s my theory, and I’m sticking to it.

ARCTIC SEA ICE

I’ve mentioned this in previous winter forecasts. The rapid ice melt in the Arctic accelerated starting around 2007. It makes the Arctic much different than it was even a few decades ago.

The prevailing theory is that the huge ice melt has led to even more warming in the Arctic than other parts of the world. That leads to less of a temperature contrast. And that leads to a weaker jet stream. Which leads to more blocking patterns in the atmosphere. And if you’re stuck in the wrong part of the block, you can get Arctic blasts and/or snowstorms. This could have something to do with our two snowiest winters ever recorded occurring in the past 10 years, even with a warming climate.

But this year, the ice melt isn’t as extreme as last year. That may cut the influence down a bit.

COMPUTER FORECASTS

Just like hurricanes and winter storms, we have sophisticated computer models that try to forecast weeks, and even months in advance. Their skill has been improving slowly over the years.

It just so happens that just about all the computer models I’ve seen show a mild winter. Here are a few examples for February:

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As with the other maps, the yellow is slightly above normal, and the orange and reddish colors are way above normal.

More than 40 New Jersey Transit train engineers were sidelined after testing imposed in the wake of a deadly rail crash found that they suffered from sleep apnea, the agency said Wednesday following mandates instituted after the deadly crash in Hoboken last year. 

NJ Transit made changes to its sleep apnea screening process, in place since 2005, after the September 2016 crash at Hoboken Terminal.

The agency screened 373 engineers for sleep disorders over the past year — 57 of those engineers were referred to for a sleep study. Of the 57 engineers, 44 were diagnosed with sleep apnea and were taken out of service until they could be cleared by a doctor or treated, the agency said. (The 13 other engineers were found to not have sleep disorders.)

As of Wednesday, only two of the engineers remained sidelined, according to NJ Transit. 

In September 2016, a train slammed into Hoboken Station, killing a woman and injuring more than 100 people. The National Transportation Safety Board found the engineer of that train suffered from sleep apnea.

MTA, which governs Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road and New York City Transit is in the process of testing 20,000 of its employees. In late September, the MTA said half of those employees had been screened and 20 percent were flagged for being at risk. 

Earlier this year, the federal government pulled back from mandating sleep apnea testing for railroad workers and truck drivers, but new legislation has been introduced to mandate that once again. 

A 93-year-old World War II veteran proved no one is ever too old for a new career by beating out an incumbent New Jersey mayor who was seeking re-election on Tuesday.

Not one to stray from challenges, Tinton Falls mayor-elect Vito Perillo noted high taxes and lack of transparency as the main reasons for entering the mayoral race four months ago. And he didn’t let his age stop him from entering the fray.

“I like for people to see that as old as I am, you can still do and accomplish things,” Perillo told News 4.

However, the navy veteran was faced with the additional task of beating incumbent Gerald Turning, who had a long history serving the town.

Tinton Falls resident Maria Lapadula said, “I was surprised. I thought Turning would win. He was the police commissioner, the administrator and then he was mayor – Vito is the new guy.”

Aware of this, Perillo decided on grassroots efforts – going door-to-door, shaking hands, and getting to know his town folk – to aid his campaign, even wearing out the soles of his favorite shoes.

He did, however, have the support of his family from the very beginning. Michael Perillo, who helped him create a Facebook page, said he never doubted his grandfather’s chances.

“I thought he was going to win,” he said. “He’s been a winner and a fighter all of his life.”

In the end, his grandson was right. Perillo won with a total of 2,449 votes, which accounted for more than 53 percent of the vote.

Perillo says his win hasn’t hit home yet, but his focus will be on lowering taxes, transparency and accountability once he’s sworn into office on Jan. 2.

“I think I can do pretty good,” he said.

It's customary to leave a tip when eating out, but one particular gratuity added to an order for a milkshake and fries at a New Jersey diner is angering parents. 

"My daughter was coming to me, telling me that every time she and her friends went to the diner, they're being charged the gratuity," said Melissa Desch. "And when I asked her why, she said, 'Because they're children.'" 

Desch said her daughter Isabella and other students at the Colfax Schuyler Middle School frequently go to the Wayne Hills Diner, just across the Hamburg Turnpike from the school. The diner's policy of adding the tip applies to kids only, and Desch believes that's unfair. 

"I was always told servers were always paid upon their service," she said. 

Peter Logos, one of the diner's owners, defended the policy, saying that the establishment is hit with large numbers of kids at a time, especially on Fridays. That ties up waitstaff, who aren't often tipped. 

He said the menu clearly states the diner will add an 18-percent gratuity at its discretion.

Some Wayne High School students said they first noticed the addition to their bills around the time football season started -- and did not mind. 

"Some people just don't know how to do it, and it just makes life easier," said one student. 

Another girl added, "I think it's good only because these people here work very hard, and they deserve more than 50 cents or a dollar as a tip."

But Desch believes tipping should still be a choice. She said her daughter won't be going back to the diner.

"It's not about the establishment," Desch said. "I've been going there since I was a child. But with them, they don't understand and they just pay the bill, And you know, she doesn't understand that she has a right to not pay a tip." 

The owner said parents should teach their children how to tip. 

A teenager was gunned down overnight along a Delaware street.

Wilmington officers arrived to the 500 block of S. Franklin Street, not far from Kosciuszko Park, around 12:15 a.m. Thursday to find 18-year-old Justin McDermott on the sidewalk suffering from a gunshot wound to his head, police said.

New Castle County medics treated McDermott on the scene then rushed him to Christiana Hospital where he died a short time later, police said.

The investigation into the motive and circumstances of the shooting continued Thursday morning.

Anyone with information can call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or email them at delawarecrimestoppers.org.