i've never seen in 30 years as national weather service issue a 12 foot blizzard warning, heavy snow, hurricane force winds, the sierra is getting pounded as you just heard, one of the biggest storms to hit the region in a long, long time. >> good evening. i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley. >> thanks for joining us. yes,

this thing is a monster as this live picture from lake tahoe zephyr cove shows you a storm so powerful it's closing roads, shutting down ski resorts and posing a real risk of power outages for all those folks hunkering down, planning to ride this thing out? yeah. >> let's get the latest on the conditions up there from abc seven news meteorologist sandhya patel. sandhya. yeah. >> and dan and ama, you know, i have never seen the kind of amounts that the weather service is putting out, which is 12ft or higher in the mountains. let me show you a live picture right now from the sierra in the last several decades, i've covered weather, bay area and the monterey bay. that kind of total has never been put out there. it is blizzard conditions in the mountains right now. last year we had atmospheric river after atmospheric river that dumped snow several feet over the course of several weeks and months. but this is in a short period of time. i would not advise travel wind, blizzard warning until 10 a.m. sunday with those gusty winds, it is going to be dangerous to get up there. as we take a look at live doppler seven, you probably

heard that thunderstorm that rumbled across san francisco just minutes ago. i want to take you back in time. that thunderstorm did come through. dumped some heavy rain across the region. that strong thunderstorm moving towards berkeley, emeryville into berkeley at 5:17 p.m. certainly seeing downpours in the east bay. right now. also right around the fairfield area. so this is not going to be an easy commute. santa cruz mountains to san jose seeing that rain as well, along with the wind, sfo 53 miles an hour right now. we do have a wind advisory gust to 55 until 10 a.m. tomorrow. it's a level two on our storm impact scale. so here's what you need to know as you head out tonight. it is still going to be coming down. there will be heavy rain at times that will continue through late tonight. and then watch what happens as we switch over into snow. so through tonight, downpours at times, thunderstorms, gusty winds, rough surf are some of the concerns. and once again the snow is going to continue to come down. i'll be back with a

full look at the weekend forecast, but we have snow over our local peaks coming this weekend as well. dan and ama. >> all right sandhya, thank you. >> now all that snow is going to create obviously the best skiing conditions of the year. the problem is you're not going to be able to get up there to enjoy it at least not yet. yeah. >> authorities are telling people not to travel to that area in the high country. abc seven news reporter cornell bernard joins us live from placer county with an urgent warning for travelers. cornell >> yeah. ama and dan. that is the plea. it is a plea from the chp. stay home. do not travel. do not travel over the sierra this weekend because it is far too dangerous. we are now heading east on interstate 80 here in applegate. we're about 44 miles from donner summit, where a big blizzard is causing a lot of headaches. for eastbound traffic chains are required on all vehicles. >> a fierce sierra blizzard is unleashing punishing winds, snow and near whiteout conditions.

>> here's the scene facing drivers on interstate 80 over donner summit. if you could make it this far, that is. road conditions have been changing by the hour. shut down traffic on blue canyon. caltrans has this checkpoint set up in applegate, making sure big rig drivers have chains for the journey. but some truckers forgot to pack them and i couldn't go no further because i didn't have chains. >> trucker jason delbianco is heading to salt lake city. >> i'm expecting to have to put on some chains and i'm hoping that the local government will let us know if it's too unsafe to go over the pass. >> when is the blizzard supposed to start? >> actually, it's hitting right now. >> it's going right now. >> tony skolnick says he didn't know about the severe weather ahead. where are you going in reno? there's a blizzard. >> yeah, i have to go there. unfortunate and uh- got to turn around and come back. so hopefully for some safe travels. >> the chp posting this warning on acts about a mess in the sierra throughout the weekend, and that travel is highly discouraged. what's your advice

to people heading to tahoe? >> i towed up on that summit for 15 years. >> stay home. don't go. >> ted lowe is heading to idaho in his rv towing a jeep. he says he's willing to risk the treacherous drive. >> we're going to go until we can't go no more, and then we'll cab up, turn the heater on. when it blows over, we'll keep on trucking. >> keep on trucking for sure. we certainly wish ted some good luck. it has been a stormy day. uh, we have seen wind, rain, rain. certainly rocking our van around for sure. and we've just learned from caltrans that eastbound 80 is closed to big rigs. uh, from here in applegate. in fact, here is the checkpoint here. uh, just off the exit off interstate 80, where, uh, caltrans is making sure that every big rig going through has has changed. of course, these trucks certainly not going anywhere fast because,

uh, they're going to be stopped here about 5 or 6 miles up the road near the storm, near the, uh, snow limit. even trains. it's too dangerous for them to go through, uh, amtrak just telling us that the california zephyr has suspend service between emeryville and salt lake city through this weekend, because it's just too dangerous. and again, the advice is stay home, put off that trip to tahoe if you can. we're live in placer county. cornell bernard abc seven news. >> just not worth the risk. you really can't get there from here at this point. colonel, thanks so much. you stay safe as well out on the road. well, large breaking waves can also make for dangerous conditions. of course, along our coastline in. crashing waves in pacifica. waves up to 20ft are forecast for coastal areas from point reyes to big sur. officials are urging caution. of course, as large breaking waves can easily pull people into the ocean. so be safe if you go to the coast,

track the rain in the snow throughout the weekend with the abc seven bay area app, you can get the latest forecast and look at the same live doppler seven that sandhya and the weather team uses every day. it's really helpful. just search abc seven bay area in your devices app store to download it now so you'll be prepared for this round of weather. >> shopkeepers say they are outraged after their small businesses in oakland were targeted by thieves. their stores in the area known as temeal alley were burglarized overnight. the owners say they feel violated. abc seven news reporter tim johnson takes a look at their growing frustration. >> business owners with shops along oakland's temescal alley were greeted by shattered glass and broken storefronts friday morning. overnight, several of the shops in this area were burglarized. that includes liz thayer's leather goods store, where she estimates the thieves got away with over $50,000 in merchandise. >> it means their life sucks and i'm already hustling post-pandemic trying to make it work. >> this isn't the first time that stores here in the alley have been broken into, though.

in fact, it's happened about three times. just over the past year. this time around, though, they tell me that six out of the 16 shops were hit and we call the police. >> so many times the police, the only thing they do is write notes made a report, but there's nothing happening. >> danny paredes is the property manager for the alley. he showed us security footage that captured two men breaking into the various storefronts. s prieta says the men actually came back and forth at least three different times over the course of the night. >> oh, they don't care. >> they just walk like they're in their house. they don't care. >> increasing crime in oakland has been a major cause of concern for local business owners for years. city council member dan cobb, who represents this area, says oakland officials are taking steps to crack down on criminal activities. cobb tells me the results won't be instantaneous. >> so we have to do the things that that will tangibly have a positive impact, not symbolic things. real things. >> those efforts are little comfort to people like thayer, though, who says after spending most of her life in the east bay, she's considering moving

out the people that you're asking to vote for, you are also the people that are impacted by, um, you know, all that's going on here. >> and so you need to listen to the, the business owners and the citizens of your community when they ask for help, because a lot of people feel like they're not getting it in oakland. >> tim johns, abc seven news. >> the oakland police commission has submitted all four of its police chief candidates to mayor sheng tao. tao will now decide if she wants to move forward with any of the names on the list, as the new police chief. one is from the bay area, the other three are out of state. the mayor was not present during last night's public forum, where candidates explained how they would effectively serve as chief of the department. tao said she opposed such a public interview process. she previously turned down the last bunch of candidates that the commission submitted to her. so we'll see what she does with this group. >> solving homelessness is one of the most complex issues, and efforts to build a better bay area in san jose. the city

spends millions of emergency response in trash pickup in encampments, including along the waterways like coyote creek. as abc seven news south bay reporter dustin dorsey explains, there's now concern it's going to cost even more unless changes are made. san jose city leaders believe homelessness is simply not being dealt with effectively, and now it's going to start to cost them. >> if we are out of compliance with our stormwater permit, we can be subject to daily fines of up to $50,000 per pollutant, $50,000 per day per pollutant. if we're out of compliance, water runs down san jose, storm drains into 140 miles of waterways and then right into the bay, and pollutants from encampments are contaminating that water. >> by june 2025, the city must reduce trash by 100% or face fines from the regional water quality control board. >> those of us who are working on this issue actually welcome that accountability, because it's going to force us to move faster and more pragmatically to solve this humanitarian crisis.

>> standing shelters and emergency houses are full throughout the city. so to keep these 1000 unhoused people from simply moving to neighborhoods, the city has to find alternatives more quick. build shelters, and maybe even safe sleeping sites. council members brandon and arjun batra have a plan. this is congregated housing that is pretty fabricated structure that the military use and many other countries, including our hospital. >> when we had covid to create hospital right out there in the parking lot or in designated site so we can get our unsheltered out of the weather to save their lives, council member dwan has four sites in his district that within five months could house the 1000 people along the waterway. >> but a man who lives along the coyote creek that wanted to remain anonymous says there's just one problem you're never going to get everybody out of here. >> you know, even if you put steel fences up and have armed guards, it's probably going to be people burrowing down here. you got some people that are just bound and determined to be what they would consider free. >> he welcomes any attempts to

clean up the waterways and hopes everyone can find a safe place to live going forward. >> nobody needs to be down here. it's not the place to be. the more homeless we get off the streets and in shelter, the better in san jose. >> dustin dawsey, abc seven news complicated balance just ahead. >> the impact sea level rise could have on the sacramento-san joaquin delta. it won't help in the fight against climate change. >> and we know where they're playing. but later in this newscast, we'll show you what the oakland ballers will be wearing when they take the field for their inaugural season. abc seven news at stinging, 5-times-a-day,... ...makeup smearing drops user. i want another option that's not another drop. tyrvaya. it's not another drop. it's the first and only nasal spray for dry eye. tyrvaya treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease fast by helping your body produce its own real tears. common side effects include sneezing, cough, and throat and nose irritation. relying only on drops? not me. my own real tears are my relief.

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pete's always fought for what he believes in, and i know he'll do the same in congress for affordable housing, the rights of women, and the democracy he swore to protect. because helping people who need it has always been pete's mission. and i know he'll get it done. next generation veteran fund is responsible for the content of this ad. salonpas lidocaine flex. a super thin, flexible patch with maximum otc strength lidocaine that contours to the body to relieve pain right where it hurts. and did we mention, it really, really sticks? salonpas, it's good medicine. "overflowing with ideas and energy." that's the san francisco chronicle endorsing democrat katie porter for senate over all other options. porter is "easily the most impressive candidate." "known for her grilling of corporate executives." with "deep policy knowledge." katie porter's housing plan has "bipartisan-friendly ideas to bring homebuilding costs down." and the chronicle praises "her ideas to end soft corruption in politics." let's shake up the senate. with democrat katie porter.

i'm katie porter and i approve this message. yeah, in this case it's not flooding, but a potential increase in greenhouse gas. >> abc seven spencer christian shows us what's behind this. the miles of wetlands that dot the sacramento-san joaquin delta can provide powerful, but sometimes mixed benefits in the fight against climate change. >> on one hand, the marshy soils act like a powerful carbon sink, trapping greenhouse gases like co2. but under certain conditions they can also release a different kind of greenhouse gas methane wetlands are a very significant source of methane to the atmosphere, and methane is a major contributor to global warming. susannah tringe is a researcher with the lawrence berkeley national laboratory, also known as berkeley lab. she and her team used dna sequencing

to examine organisms found in soil samples taken from various marsh areas around the delta. while the science is complex, she believes the addition of slightly saltier water could tip the natural balance in certain areas, leading to increased methane levels. >> we were surprised to see that there was a lot more methane being produced by some of the wetlands that were just slightly saline, surprising because higher levels of salt, like those found around san francisco bay, typically have the opposite effect, discouraging methane. >> but with sea level rise pushing saltier water deeper into the delta where it mixes with fresh water, researchers worry about a slow shift in the chemistry, a kind of lightly salted middle zone that could potentially produce much higher levels of methane than researchers had initially predicted. >> we think that that has significant implications for sea water creeping into the delta here we have the methane sensor, but to better understand the complicated balance, scientists from the university of california have been monitoring areas of the delta with

sophisticated equipment meant airing differences in soil and other conditions, and their effect on carbon capture. >> researcher dennis baldacci believes that we could see conditions change and perhaps change again over the course of decades, and then the question is it happens on ecosystem time scales, which is years and decades, and they change on a year by year basis. >> so we need that be out there monitoring and observing. and then studying these things to really know what's going on. >> but if there is a near firm threat from sea level rise, researchers may be able to identify areas that are more resilient than others. >> i think that as we learn more about the microbiology, we might know which locations we're better targets for. wetland restoration. that might be good carbon sinks and what wetlands are particularly important to preserve. >> in san francisco, spencer christian abc seven news. >> all right. coming up, we've talked about all of the snow in the sierra, but the storm is having a significant impact around here as well. >> and sandy is going to have a

detailed look at t

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along san francisco's embarcadero are overflowing. the water is coming back up from the street sewers. you can see one building's gutters are just gushing out from above. so much rain. >> yes. all right, so let's find out more about how long this rain is going to be here. >> yeah. meteorologist sandyha patel is here with the full forecast. sandy.

>> yeah, we're going to be in for the wet weather through the weekend, but i do have some hope for you in case you want to get some outdoor activity out for the weekend. dan and emma, let me show you live doppler seven right now. we'll talk about what is happening. the cold, unstable air associated with our current storm is moving in, and that's why we've been seeing the thunderstorms has certainly has been snowing in the sierra. i'm going to get you in a little bit closer to our local radar and show you where we did see a thunderstor storm rumble through here in san francisco. and this was just a short time ago before 5 p.m. dumped some heavy rain across the region. it is moving towards the direction of the east bay from the santa cruz mountains. you will notice all the way out towards the san mateo coast around pescadero creek road. we are seeing some heavy rain falling right now. now, while it is not as heavy around san jose at this hour, west hedding street alum rock area, we are seeing some downpours so be prepared. uh- north bay and the east bay also seeing their share right now in the east bay. walnut creek,

pleasant hill seeing some pockets of heavier rain. vacaville area as well. and as we widen the picture here, we're going to talk about what's going on. that cold upper level low. still with us rainfall so far, ben loman picking up an inch of rain. but some places like san francisco, a third of an inch thunderstorms will continue this evening. that cold upper level low will continue to bring in hefty snow totals to the sierra. look at the view from zephyr cove. plenty of snow on the ground and the statewide snowpack has gone up by a couple of percentage points compared to yesterday. yesterday was 80% stake wide. it's certainly very choppy because of the wind. so here's a look at the forecast. do not try to travel blizzard conditions tomorrow as well as today. heavy snow, windy on sunday. brisk chance of snow on monday and then tuesday. we'll have some more snow continuing. but really your better opportunity to get up there will be early next week to enjoy the slopes. skiing boarding, whatever you may have planned

until then. blizzard warning until 10 a.m. sunday 12ft or more for the highest peaks. gusty winds 5 to 10ft above 5000ft. the snow will be at a rate of 2 to 4in per hour, so keep that in mind. winter storm warning for lake and mendocino counties. the interior areas above 1000ft expecting 5 to 10in and ridge gusts up to 50 miles an hour. right now you are noticing those temperatures in the 40s and the 50s can feel the chill emeryville camera showing you a very wet view. right now it's going to be tough to get around windy as well. thunder tonight. tomorrow a mix of showers and snow showers. and sunday those scattered showers will continue, but you'll see some sun breaks. so through tonight it's a two downpours at times. gusts to 50 miles an hour or higher in the hills, rough surf and thunderstorms. those winds right now 50 for oakland hills. they'll remain gusty tonight. you will notice even at 9 p.m. 40 mile an hour winds 45 mile an hour winds tomorrow morning. those wind gusts in the 35 to 40 range. and then after

tomorrow morning, the winds will die down high surf advisory until 4 p.m. tomorrow. 17 footers right now. up to 20 foot waves expected. you can certainly see those waves in santa cruz right now. and as you look at the timeline here, downpours continue through the night as we head towards tomorrow morning, switches over to snow showers. mount hamilton, cobb mountain lake and mendocino counties. a waves of showers will continue for your saturday, so tomorrow's a good day to be inside. and then sunday will be a better day to be outside. even though there will be showers. so taking you through sunday night, we're looking at upwards of an inch to almost two inches for the wettest spots. your morning temperatures, 30s and 40s, make sure you have your winter gear tomorrow afternoon. 40s and 50s and the accuweather seven day wintry mix. level one through the weekend. another one for monday, tuesday and wednesday. that's weaker though. >> okay, good. all right.

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baseball team unveiled the jerseys that they'll be wearing for their inaugural season. the oakland ballers will have three sets in green, gold and white, but not quite like the a's. >> no, the white will have oakland on the front. the dark green is in blazoned with ballers and the gold jersey says oakland and has the ballers logo as well. >> pretty slick now also prominently displayed on all three two sponsors. triple a on the front and bart on the right sleeve. >> all right. we still have much more news ahead. let's get to abc7 news anchor karina nova. >> she's here with a look at what's coming up at 530. >> karina. thanks dan. and we're going to continue to track the rain and the wind here in the bay area. and the massive snowfall in the sierra. also, what bank customers need to know about more scams involving zelle seven on your side shows us how not to fall for an easy trick

that's costing people thousands of dollars. plus, from the san francisco's mayor's race to california senate race to the latest on the oakland police chief candidates. abc seven insider phil matier joins me with new developments, joining us for those stories and more. at 530. >> all right, karina, thanks. >> and you can download the abc seven app or head to abc seven news.com. so you can join karina in two minutes. >> if you're with us on tv here. world news tonight with david muir is next with sandhya patel. >> i'm dan anchor that's the san francisco chronicle endorsing democrat katie porter for senate over all other options. porter is "easily the most impressive candidate." "known for her grilling of corporate executives." with "deep policy knowledge." katie porter's housing plan has "bipartisan-friendly ideas

to bring homebuilding costs down." and the chronicle praises "her ideas to end soft corruption in politics." let's shake up the senate. with democrat katie porter. i'm katie porter and i approve this message. democrats agree. with democrat katie porter. conservative republican steve garvey is the wrong choice for the senate. ...our republican opponent here on this stage has voted for donald trump twice. mr. garvey, you voted for him twice... as your own man, what is your decision?

garvey is wrong for california. but garvey's surging in the polls. fox news says garvey would be a boost to republican control of the senate. stop garvey. adam schiff for senate. i'm adam schiff, and i approve this message. >> david: tonight, breaking news. the fbi on this new discovery, has another balloon been discovered? also, the life-threatening blizzard slamming the u.s. and the collision on a major bridge, the truck dangling. the rescuers praying with the woman driver. first, the news just coming in, the fbi now investigating debris that's been found. the question, could this be another balloon?