5 Things to Know This Morning

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

New England is digging out this morning after receiving more than 30 inches of snow in some areas from a major northeast storm. A travel ban was lifted at midnight in Massachusetts, but authorities are urging drivers to stay off the roads if necessary as cleanup efforts continue.

Public transportation service for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is slated to resume today. Airlines were expected to begin flying at Boston's Logan Airport this morning and to have full schedules back in place by Thursday, according to an airport official.

A blizzard warning for Boston ended Tuesday evening as the snow tapered off, but one remained in effect for the south coast, Cape Cod and nearby islands.

Coastal New England was walloped by the massive Nor’easter, which blew through with blizzard conditions.

2. Vanderbilt Rape Trial: Ex-Football Players Found Guilty

Two former Vanderbilt University football players on trial for sexually assaulting a female classmate in a campus dorm room were found guilty Tuesday.

A Nashville jury took just a few hours to decide Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey were guilty of four counts of aggravated rape, one count of attempted aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. Vandenburg was also found guilty of tampering with evidence and unlawful photography after prosecutors claimed he recorded the sexual assault on his phone and shared it with friends.

3. First Lady's Visit To Saudi Arabia Sends Strong Message About Women

In a country where women have few rights, First Lady Michelle Obama today seemed to lead by example.

The pictures say it all.

There she was, standing side-by-side with her husband as he stepped off Air Force One in Riyadh today, where, during a brief visit, the president offered condolences for the recent death of King Abdullah and met with his successor, King Salman.

4. Video Shows What Lightning Looks Like From Space

A newly released video taken from the International Space Station shows stunning flashes of light as a lightning storm strikes Earth.

Taken from an altitude of 250 miles, the time-lapse footage was created using several dozen images captured in 2012 by an astronaut at the ISS. The video was released today on YouTube by the European Space Agency.

5. Super Bowl XLIX: Facts and Figures Ahead of the Big Game

Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks is just days away.

-- The Seahawks are the first team to play in consecutive Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in 2004-05.

-- This is the 2nd time the University of Phoenix Stadium has held the Super Bowl. The stadium previously hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008. The New York Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14 in what many regard as one of the best title games ever played and one of the NFL's biggest upsets. The Giants' win ended the Patriots perfect season that year.