today. >> good evening. i'm elizabeth cook. >> i'm ryan yamamoto. despite the treacherous conditions, not everyone is heeding warnings to stay off the roads. we'll have much more on that in a moment. but first let's head to first alert chief meteorologist paul heggen tracking some nasty weather moving into the bay area. we can hear it hitting the roof of our studio, paul. >> yes. heavy downpours, a lightning strike over the bay bridge in the last 15 minutes or so. the statewide impact has been directed at the sierra. this is the live view from the central sierra snow lab's cameras looking every direction and seeing the snow piling up. they continue to be under a blizzard warning through 10:00 a.m. sunday. the most intense snowfall is going to happen this evening, overnight into the first half the saturday. wind gusts over 100 miles an hour, the strongest gusts recorded so far in the sierra, one of the peaks above palisades tahoe, 167 miles an hour. that is unbelievable. we are under a wind advisory through 10:00 a.m. saturday. we've had numerous gusts in

the 30 to 40-mile-an-hour range and even 40 to 50-mile-an-hour gusts. there's a high surf advisory until 4:00 saturday along the coast and here is the rain making a mess of the evening commute. let's zoom in for a closer look. we have heavy downpours making their way west to east, including some moving back into san rafael, more rain crossing over san pablo bay into southern solano county, contra costa county and alameda county, more heavy downpours moving into san francisco as folks are getting off work. that band of heavy rain extends off the coast and there's more rain moving into the santa cruz mountains. we'll zoom back out and put everything in motion. this is the most intense rain and we're experiencing the gustiest winds we are going to through the course of the system. it's going to be a wet evening and generally wet, cold weekend, too. we'll get into how long this pattern will last coming up. here's a look at conditions along i-80 and highway 50 right now from caltrans cameras. it's been getting progressively worse throughout the day. here's a closer look at the snow along

interstate 80. you could barely see that semi, absolutely dumping up there and caltrans telling drivers to stay off the roads unless it's a life or death situation. >> hey, how are you? >> what's up, man? sorry. >> what's up? why we stopping in the road? >> just filming. >> you're still in the middle of the road right now. >> this is the rest stop. >> no. this is the on ramp to interstate 80. just go ahead and the rest stop's completely closed, so you can't stop there. >> the roads are just as snowy and dangerous on the other main route to tahoe, highway 50. some folks say the bigger issue with the wind isn't on the roads. some folks stopped to walk their dogs or build a snowman. mary wyckoff was keeping a keen eye pointed up to the trees. >> a lot of these trees are unstable from the fire. so with the heavy snow the trees are really waving and there's a good chance they could fall.

>> mary said she's happy ski resorts are closed as there are less drivers. looking live at sierra tahoe, the resort is closed. palisades, alpine, sugar bowl, boyle are also closed. heavenly did open today. some skiers and snowboarders braved the conditions. reporter ashley sharp is in south lake tahoe with a look at how residents are dealing with the snow. >> reporter: heavenly resort kept a few lifts open through late afternoon. conditions in south lake tahoe took a rapid decline. what started as a light snowfall early this morning took a turn for the worse. a long line for the lift, heavenly, one of the only tahoe resorts with chairs turning friday. >> might not happen tomorrow, so we'll do it today. >> reporter: with a get it while you can mindset on the

slopes. >> we're really excited. >> reporter: most braving the blizzard-like conditions in south lake tahoe and from out of town and making the most of it. >> we're on school vacation and, yeah, super excited to have a storm. >> if i do one run, that's better than none. >> just here to have some fun, explore, just have a positive twist on it. >> reporter: but it's not all fun and games. the storm bringing heavy snow and high wind with low visibility friday as crews raced to keep up on the roads. >> waa waa. >> reporter: that's how you feel about today? south lake tahoe under a blanket of snow, several inches thick as more keeps moving in. >> this is what we needed. so we're excited. hopefully it continues all march. >> we got 18 inches of fresh powder last night and a couple more feet in the forecast. >> reporter: the director of

mountain operations at heavenly says the digout is already days deep with eyes on the sky through sunday. >> so far the storm's producing really well and it's really setting up for really good skiing the rest of the year. >> reporter: again, snow steadily falling today throughout south lake tahoe, expected to possibly get a foot of additional snow today. we know it will only pick up in intensity through the evening. as that storm picks up, pg&e is also warning customers to be prepared for outages. residents in the sierra and california's northern counties face the highest risk, about the even here in the bay area the utility has been getting ready. >> we're stockpiling our yards here in the bay area. we've opened up our emergency operations center so that everybody is working in lock step and we also are making sure that our crews are ready to roll. we'll be working 24/7 through this storm. >> bay area skiers and snowboarders are eager to get to the mountains and local businesses are hoping for a

blizzard boost. california ski company in berkeley says they are expecting a lot of sales and rentals this weekend. >> we've been getting calls, emails. people are trying to buy the widest skis to get some of that deeper snow. this is kind of really what we've waited for. liz, in san francisco the wet and windy conditions prompted a shutdown of pine lake park in the sunset district. nearby stern grove remains closed from a previous storm. officials are concerned strong winds could topple trees and branches along with localized flooding. for the very latest, head to kpix.com or download the free cbs news app. san jose mayor matt mahan is announcing a new crackdown on the homeless encampments that run along the city's many miles of creeks and waterways. as len ramirez reports, the mayor is calling on residents to get behind efforts to bring people indoors, warning that

the status quo is an environmental and humanitarian emergency. >> reporter: the city of san jose is already facing huge fines and restrictions from the regional water quality control board because of the amount of pollution going into the streams that feed into san francisco bay. so it's under that backdrop that the mayor announced today that the status quo for encampments along the waterways is no longer acceptable. edward thompson has camped in the creek beds of san jose for the last three years. he just got the news that san jose intends to permanently remove homeless encampments along the waterways like his. >> probably better for the water, but where are you going to put them? >> reporter: mayor matt mahan and members of the city council ventured out along the banks of coyote creek to see the camps

and the pollution that make their way into the water. >> i'm glad, frankly, that the regional water control board is going to force us to be more pragmatic. >> reporter: trash and harmful chemicals are washed downstream. environmental groups can only do so much to remove the debris. mahan, who vowed in his campaign for mayor in 2022 to end the era of encampments in san jose, says the real solution is moving people out of the camps and keeping them out. >> we need to get people into a place that has basic sanitation, basic security and a connection to case management. we cannot continue to allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. we can't have a 20, 30-year strategy for eventually building enough affordable housing to deal with what is truly an emergency on our streets. >> reporter: an estimated 1,000 people live in san jose creek beds. currently there's not enough available housing to bring all of them inside. city council member pam foley says people who often oppose

homeless shelters in their neighborhoods will have to step up to help solve the problem. >> it is really important that the neighborhoods agree to and find the benefit in constructing these emergency housing facilities in their neighborhoods. >> reporter: mahan says the council will be taking action over the next six months to plan and spend tens of millions of dollars to build more emergency shelters and safe parking lots. after that the camps will be cleared and enforcement action will be taken to stop them from coming back. >> we have a responsibility in government for providing safe, dignified alternatives to encampments and when they're provided, individuals have a responsibility for taking advantage of them. >> i'm on a waiting list at the martin luther king library downtown and i'm with the program over there that is waiting for housing to open up. i know there's housing, but it just takes a while to process paperwork and whatever. so i just got to go report to them. >> reporter: edward thompson says although he likes living out in the open for most of the year, he would gladly come

indoors. still ahead, a big decision for voters in the only california city that still elects its police chief, why a fierce battle has erupted over plans to change that. >> i just want somebody that is going to care so this thing doesn't happen to another family. the cdc announcing a dramatic change to its guidance on covid-19. they're beautiful and i can see that they're taking a lot of water so they can grow. >> yeah. how some bay area kids are helping prevent flooding in their neighborhoods while making it a little more beautiful all at the same time. this election is about who shares your values. let me share mine. i'm the only candidate with a record of taking on maga republicans, and winning. when they overturned roe, i secured abortion rights in our state constitution. when trump attacked our lgbtq and asian neighbors, i strengthened our hate crime laws.

i fought for all of us struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. i'm evan low, and i approve this message for all of our shared values. i launched our campaign at this union hall. let's go win this thing! then we hit the road and never stopped. you shared with me your frustration at working harder to barely get by and afford a place to live. your fears for our democracy and freedoms and your dreams for yourself, your family, and the future.

it is not too late to realize those dreams. i'm adam schiff, and i approve this message because together we can still get big things done. a live look at san francisco where we've seen periods of heavy rain mixed in with sunshine today. on average more than 16 billion gallons of rain, though, that falls on san francisco every year. >> add climate change to the mix and more extreme storms and you wind up with conditions

like we saw during this year, lot of flooded streets and backed up drains. >> in today's project earth report, anne makovec reports on a creative solution that ames to manage the stormwater while benefiting kids, their families and their neighborhoods. >> reporter: from up high two pink steeples mark the spot, south of golden gate park is st. anne's sunset. >> so many individuals in the community and neighborhood experience st. anne's personally or know someone who goes there. >> reporter: including the vander wiel family, parents jennifer and miles, 9-year-old ella and 6-year-old hugh. they belong to the first generation at st. anne that will benefit from a bold new project. >> i think it's really important and wonderful to see the school kind of leading the way. >> reporter: the plan? to

transform st. anne's concrete campus into a stormwater schoolyard all thanks to a grant from the san francisco public utilities commission. >> we're excited for you guys to see it when it's built. >> reporter: sarah blume is the senior watershed planner with the puc which has so far awarded 20 grants to schools, art groups, and parks. the main goal is to divert with stormwater. >> climate change is here. we're going to see more and more intense storms. we can expect that and green infrastructure is one of the many tools in our toolbox that we have to manage stormwater, especially during these larger storms. >> reporter: last summer heavy equipment broke ground and construction began. big storms can overwhelm the city's antiquated sewer system backing up drains and flooding streets. one way to manage the runoff is to build special gardens where the rain soaks into the earth or is captured for reuse. at st. anne's workers created and then planted several gardens. the students helped select native plants which will be

grown in special soil. >> they'll be bringing in specially engineered soil called bio retention soil. that's a mixture of different types of compost materials and sand that allow stormwater to flow through it really, really quickly. >> reporter: the rain that falls on the schoolyard and roof will now flow into the garden. >> so we take that downspout, disconnect it and then feed that water straight into the rain garden. so with the addition of the water coming from the yard and the roof, these rain gardens are doing a lot of heavy work when it rains. >> reporter: workers also installed a special permeable pavement that acts like a sponge. >> pour water on the paver. it will soak right into the ground. >> reporter: under one garden a large drain holds heavy runoff, allowing it to slowly percolate into the soil. as for all the water -- >> it goes straight into the groundwater. >> reporter: underneath st. anne's is the largest groundwater basin in san francisco. it's called the west side basin. it stretches 40 square miles from golden

gate park to burlingame in san mateo county. after months of ripping up concrete, installing pipes, pavements, and planting new gardens, the big storms are here. >> so far, so good. we've had lots of rain and the gardens have absorbed all the moisture that's come in and all the downpour from the roofs perform. >> reporter: ella and hugh put on their rain boots and grabbed umbrellas to check out how the new gardens work. >> it gets pushed in over here. water is dripping from here. you can see that little water here. >> they're beautiful and i can see that they're taking a lot of water so they can grow. >> it's been a really wonderful project for the kids to get more engaged and become more aware. >> reporter: aware that when we put our heads together, we have a better chance of weathering whatever the future brings. >> yeah. >> now the sfpuc is now accepting new applications for grants and even exploring a

pilot program for homes. for more information you can head to our website, kpix.com. let's check in with first alert chief meteorologist paul heggen. this weather started like a little bit of a lamb this morning and, man, it came in like a lion. >> we've been looking outside at our live camera in san francisco and it's been pouring. >> the rain is going sideways now. >> this is some of the most intense rainfall for the duration of this system. heavy downpours are moving along about 45 miles an hour. that keeps us out of the flooding concerns we had about ten days ago when we had an inch of rain in downtown san francisco in about an hour or so. the concern in the sierra, of course, is the snow. this is the live picture from caltrans at donner summit. traffic has essentially parked and the camera is being shaken by the gusty winds. this was the concern, that things would become essentially impassable in the sierra and now some of the most intense snow and wind will kick in and continue at least the next 12 hours, maybe 18 or so. here's the doppler

loop the past few years in the sierra. you can see the snow line advancing downslope towards the end of the sequence, indicating cold air is pushing snow levels down in elevation to about 3,000 feet or so, down to about 2,000 feet later tonight. let's up the snow and how long it lasts. just over the next six hours or so, another foot to 2 feet of snow on top of some of the peaks, 3 to 5 inches per hour, and they'll add up to several feet of snow in the higher elevations by the time the sun comes up tomorrow morning. it will continue throughout the day tomorrow and tomorrow night even though it starts to taper off early sunday morning. on top of what has already fallen, over 6 feet of additional snow around donner pass, twin bridges and over 5 feet on some of the peaks with 3 1/2 feet of snow likely around lake level at tahoe. we have a winter storm warning through 10:00 a.m. sunday at mendocino.

around the bay area it's heavy rain, raining sideways as ryan said, but the push of rain is making its way across the bay bridge. it's a sloppy evening commute. that band of heavy rain extends from solano county through contra costa county and across the bridge and off the coast entirely. it's going to continue farther and farther east. there's another batch of heavier rain farther south, but there's more rain lining up offshopper. as we switch over to futurecast, you'll see additional rain likely as we head through the rest of tonight. this is all driven by the cold front associated with the parent storm system. this will spark the heaviest downpours, the strongest winds that we'll have through the lifetime of this storm system, not lingering long enough in any one place, the heaviest rain, for a significant flooding threat. whenever you get downpours, you can always get standing water on the sides of the road. be on the lookout for that. off-and-on rain is likely as we head through start, some locally heavy downpours, but they won't last long in any particular spot. we

aren't done with rain chances there. as we look at the course of the next seven days, rain chances don't drop down to zero until thursday and friday next week, yes, another round of rain looking likely by late monday into monday night and tuesday as well. let's add up the rain over the course of the next seven days. despite all the rain chances and heavy rain falling now, we're talking about 1 to 2 inches of total rainfall over the course of that seven-day time frame. it's not nearly enough to lead to significant flooding threat on a widespread basis. that doesn't mean some localized problems can't result. we've seen some instances of standing water on the side of 101, for instance, with the latest batch of heavy rain that's made its way through the past hour or so. even on the high end of things, less than 2 inches of total rainfall even for the higher elevations of the north bay through the next seven days or so. there is plenty of wind associated with this system. that will continue to be gusty through the rest of this evening. wind gusts over the next 12 hours will peak right as the cold front comes through

with widespread 35 to 45-mile-an-hour gusts. while the wind isn't as strong tomorrow, it's going to be noticeable, 20 to 30-mile-an-hour gusts throughout the day, not enough for widespread power outages, but enough to move you around on the road a bit. let's look at the seven-day forecast. towards the tail end we do have a couple dry days. we'll get there in a second. wet and cold weather heading through the weekend, lighter showers sunday, but they'll still be out there. be flexible with outdoor plans, more rain monday and tuesday. it's lingering showers wednesday and then the dry weather returns, sunshine thursday and friday with temperatures coming back to near average by the end of next week, light at the end of the tunnel. >> thanks, paul. paul was showing us images from donner summit of the semis stuck up there. here's another look at the snow. i-80 has now officially been closed, westbound traffic being turned around at the state line,

eastbound traffic turned around at drumford bay, not a surprise when you see all the snow in the sierra. up next, new covid-19 guidelines from the cdc, recommendations for what to do if you test positive. a oh, it's cold outside. time to protect your vehicle from winter's wrath. of course, the hot sun can be tough on vehicles too. you need weathertech. laser measured floorliners and cargo liner will shield the carpeting from sand and snow. for your interior, there's seat protector and sunshade. plus, mud flaps and bumpstep for the exterior. while the new impactliner, with shock absorbing rings, safeguards your truck bed from costly damage. order american made products at wt.com surf's up!

when peter dickson led my platoon into combat in afghanistan, he cared about two things: completing the mission, and making sure his marines came home. and we all did. 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.

two of the nation's largest pharmacy chains will start selling mifepristone where it's legal. walgreen's plans to start offering the drug in california and more states will be added on a rolling basis. the drug is at the center of legal challenges. the supreme court is expected to decide whether to restrict access to it by july. the cdc announced today people who test positive for covid no longer have to isolate for five days. under the new recommendations, people can return to daily normal

activities as soon as their symptoms are mild and improving and if they've been fever free at least a day without medication. the new approach is in line with recommendations for other respiratory viruses, including the flu and rsv and comes as the u.s. is seeing fewer hospitalizations and deaths. >> importantly, we know vaccines work. we have data from the first half of the season that shows that if you got a vaccine, it's really protective and that the people going to the hospital, 95% of them did not have an updated vaccine. >> under these new guidelines, the cdc still recommends people who test positive for covid keep your distance and wear a mask. the cdc director was asked if the new guidelines could result in more people getting sick at work, especially those without paid leave. cohen said she hoped employers would allow workers to stay home when they're sick. the city of santa clara's police chief could become the

last elected chief in the state of california. we'll tell you about the fight over the measure that could change how the step chooses their top cop. >> i think we all think it's time for us to evolve. >> i'm really proud of that. i'm proud of the fact we're the only city that elects our police chief. and a major victory for thousands of workers who say they were racially harassed at the tesla factory in fremont. tech companies are building artificial intelligence into more devices than ever before from

is it possible to count on my internet like my customers count on me? it is with comcast business. keeping you up and running with our 99.9% network reliability. and security that helps outsmart threats to your data. moaire dida twoo? - your data, too. there's even round-the-clock customer support. so you can be there for your customers. with comcast business, reliability isn't just possible. it's happening. get started for $49 a month. plus, ask how to get up to a $800 prepaid card with a qualifying internet package. don't wait, call and switch today! 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. right now at 5:30, president biden announcing new support for palestinians suffering the humanitarian crisis in gaza. a new candidate that could jump into the race to become san francisco's next mayor, why it could turn the contest on its head. we're just four days away from the california primaries and the campaigns are making their final pitches. in santa clara voters will get to decide if they want to give up their right to choose the city's top cop. >> measure b could make santa clara like every other city in the state after going against the grain for years and one business owner who was a victim of a crime is especially interested in who the next police chief will be.

>> a little bit over 25 years, almost 26 years. >> reporter: for a quarter century hamid amadilla has surrounded himself with gold and all things precious. >> i love the jewelry business. >> reporter: but almost two years ago that love was put to the test. >> as soon as they walked in, one bear sprayed me in the face and one held the door open and another eight to ten guys started breaking up my cases. >> reporter: his santa clara store was hit by an organized smash and grab. he lost thousands of dollars in merchandise. >> life has to go on. >> reporter: with the fate of law enforcement on the ballot in santa clara, hamid is closely watching measure b because as a victim of crime, safety is a top priority. >> if my customers don't feel comfortable coming inside the store to shop, if they're afraid that inside the store somebody is going to attack them or something like that is going to happen, of course, it's going to reflect on our business. >> reporter: measure b will decide how the city of santa clara will choose its