another storm is moving in. we have team coverage of our storm watch. abc7 news is in pacifica but we will start things off with a quick first look at the whether with our meteorologist lisa argen. >> hi, carolyn. good morning. hi, everyone. look at light rain in san francisco. the winds continue to pick up around the bay. we are expecting a strong cold front to sweep through the bay area later on this morning into the early afternoon hours. the wind advisory up through 1:00 and that's when we will continue to see the rain ease out south of the bay. right now it's well to the north. so lock at live doppler 7hd in the north bay. shows moderate to heavy rain from bodega bay. wind gusts have been continuing to increase to 25 and 30 miles an hour along the coast. the south winds also into the south bay. hayward reporting wind gusts of 23 miles an hour. out towards walnut creek in berkeley, some lighter rain,

through 580 and 80 this morning. you see the peninsula and parts of the east bay with a break. not a blot of action now but the rain continues to be pushed up against the santa cruz mountains and we are looking at mr. moderate rain here. with increasing rain throughout the morning hours we are expecting some localized flooding. we will time it it out for you coming up. carolyn. >> you talk about the gusty, windy, rainy weather, that's turning up the waves in pacifica. that's where we kind k. he ra clapper. good morning. >> good morning, carolyn. the waves are coming over the wall already so early in morning. it's probably an indicator it's only going to get worse as the day pro grosses. the rain has been light but it's been steady all morning. for a few hours it hasn't let up. sometimes heavier, sometimes later but it is continuously raining.

and it is very windy. the wind is gusting. the rain horizontal, i don't know if you can see it now but let's get to you video we shot about 45 minutes ago at the pacifica pier which is currently closed. and it's systematic what will happen across coast communities today. along the beaches, waves up to 16 feet are expected. forecasters are urging people, of course, to not walk along the beaches. but if you do, watch for large, breaking waves. recreational crabber david bailey, we met up with him some morning. he's disappointed, which is one day all year for his excursion with his friend and now he says he will have to wait until next december. he said he's eating out this morning instead. >> i think it will be denny's breakfast and my buddy and i talking about how disappointed we are that we didn't get to get out there. but the weather is pretty treacherous.

>> the waves were already breaking over the seawall, as i said. nearby to the south at rockaway beach there are currently 8-foot north swells. that's down from about 9 1/2 feet. it's an ever-changing storm. best to err on the side of caution. just when you think the rain or wind is calm down, and now it's picking up again. bring your rain gear and be safe on the roads. reporting live in pacifica, kera clapper, awc7 news. >> we are disappointed for that crabber, too. that's too bad this morning. the weather has been causing problems all over the bay area. one of the biggest, let me show you, at the corner of 17th and potrero in san francisco. abc7 news reporter john alston said it's going it take a few days to clean under the mess after a storm toppled a gas station canopy along with a

tree. >> it could have been much worse when a large canopy toppled next to the gas pump on 17th and potrero. public works will remove branches from a tree that crashed through the window of a parked car that had broken down next to the gas station friday night. >> i'm thank god that none of us got killed sitting in the car because we were sitting in car last night. >> the square, metal post that held up the covering snapped during a strong rainstorm about 3:30 in the afternoon. the fire department thinks it crashed down after a branch fro% the tree landed on top of the metal structure. gas station clerk hit the automatic shut off valve and cut electrical power to the pump. >> i heard something, a know, and i saw outside and some trees fell down, hit the canopy and the canopy broke down.

>> an employee with the public works department said it appeared the canopy blue into the tree first. that will all that to get sorted out when the insurance companies get involved. the city will brace the structure before it is removed in the next day or so. abc7 news. >> air travelers are having weather related problems as they head in and out of town for the holiday. unsettled weather and scattered showers coming through the bay area brought change in wind direction this weekend. that always causes air traffic at sfo to redirect landing and takeoff landings from north and south. it limits the number of departing and landing flights and backs up the traffic of the taxi way. only a flew flights were cancelled yesterday according to the flight information board. >> we have an hour delay so we were supposed to leave at two and then we are leaving at three. we are supposed to fly into chicago. we will have about ten minutes to connect to our flight. >> and with more rain on the way, delays are expected to continue. it is about an hour and a half

delay with arriving flights. with more rain on the way, you can expect more delays. about 100,000 people traveled through sfo yesterday. you will want to stay with abc7 news for continuing storm watch coverage. lisa argen will have the full forecast in just a few minutes. we are going to be tracking the storm all day in our newscasts. we will be doing hourly updates all day long after our news at 9:00. you can check live doppler anytime on abcnews.com. today wraps up the final day of shopping before christmas with plenty of people dashing through the rain to buy last minute gifts. in fact, some major retailers are open right now, staying open all night to ring up a few more sales. abc7 news reporter lilian kim has more now on the shopping frenzy from hills day shopping center in san mateo. >> the hardest part was fining a parking spot.

at hillsdale shopping center in san mateo shoppers went around in circles hoping for a space to open up. >> crazy. park is horrible. >> inside more craziness. at least in storms like brook stone. customers had to wait in long lines. christmastime is when the internality gift store does the bulk of its business. $32,000 in sales, compared to 5 do $7,000 on an average day. >> what's the hot item right now? >> the hottest item, usually the helicopters over there, and the helicopters that fly around, you can crash them. they are fun. we have a lot of cool ipad stuff like keyboards and cases. >> when it began a consumer report survey said two-thirds of americans hadn't finished their holiday shopping, while about 14% haven't even started. >> i have a two-year-old son and someone was taking care of them so i can run out and do things. it's hard with a little one. >> but good things do come to those who wait.

many stores are offering deep discounts. at jamboree, regular priced items are half off. >> there are some good sales. last minute shoppers will benefit. >> they will get the benefit of extended hours. macy's is staying open 24 hours for the weekend. >> i don't know about the late nights. i don't want to go out in the malls that late, but it will be nice to not have to be in the crowds for parking and stuff. >> toys-r-us are open around the clock. they are open 24 hours until 10:00 p.m. on christmas receive. -- christmas eve. abc7 news. >> coming up next, an outpoor of support for the the victims of the connecticut school shooting as the last of the children are laid to rest. and also we are continuing to track the storm moving over the bay area. this is a live look from the golden gate bridge.

there's a wind advisory so that span so slow down, hang on. happy holiday. lisa argen will have your full forecast in just a few minutes.

>> welcome back, everyone. at 6:12, this is a live look at our live doppler 7hd. the orange and red represents the heaviest areas of this storm

hats moving through the bay area. the magnitude of the system has yet to be felt. lisa argen will tell you when and where. she will be along shortly. but in the meantime you can track the storms wherever you are this weekend by going to our website. abc news.com and looking at our live doppler 7hd: now to the school tragedy in new town, connecticut. people are showing their support by sending toys, money and gifts to the town. at the same time this incident is pushing gun reform to the top of the national agenda. abc chuck sievertson reports. >> the funeral for six-year-old emily was held in ogden, utah, the only one buried outside of connecticut. >> she's become an example to the world about purity, innocence, tragedy, and

forgiveness. >> earlier back in newtown, services were held for 7-year-old josephine, who liked peanut butter and the color purple. first grader anna green was buried in greenfield. her coffin pulled in a horse-drawn carriage. the deaths of the 20 children and 6 adults at the sandy hook elementary school has already trying he would action to reduce gun violence and save lives. there was over $100,000 for a gun buy-back. >> even if you get one off the street it's one less chance of it getting into the wrong hands. >> gun reform reunited from a proposal from the nra to station armed guards at every school in the country. >> the only thing that is stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

>> several school districts already have armed officers in their schools. chuck sievertson, abc news, new york. >> as the nation searches for ways to prevent mass shootings, abc this week takes on the gun debate. this morning at 8:00 the head of the nra's national school shield program, former congressman and dea administrator hutchinson defends the gun lobby's controversial proposal to make schools safer. don't miss "this week" with george stephanopoulos coming up at 8:00 here on abc7. >> saint anthony's is holding their curbside donation drive. yesterday people dropped off bags and hand-knitted mitt tense and carves were available for those in need. it continues today and tomorrow. lisa argen is here now talking about this system that we just can't seem to get out from under. >> yeah, it's on the way. so not everyone experiencing the

moderate rain. it's along the coast with gusty winds and light rains in san francisco. we are looking at rain to increase, winds to increase right on through the midmorning hours. in fact into the early afternoon. so just getting underway right now in the north bay. we will have your full forecast when we come back. >> thank you. also ahead, the warriors and lakers put on a holiday show at oracle arena. mike shumann has the highlights of an overtime thriller. that's coming up in sports.

>> welcome back. thanks for getting up and joining us for the sunday morning news. a live look now at the san mateo bridge. there is a wind advisory there, as there is for all the bridges across the bay area. gusts in some spots around the bay area as strong as 50 miles per hour, according to our meteorologist lisa argen, who has been spending every single moment she can over there in the weather center trying to copy track of what's going on. >> right. sustained winds out of the southeast, 20 to 35 miles an hour. you can expect the winds to increase and also the rain to increase. we are looking at a rough time of it this morning in the next two to four hours. as we head outside the sierra

nevada right any we have a winter storm warning until 4:00 a.m. monday where we could pick up another one to two feet at leak level, three to four feet before 7,000 feet and right now 30 degrees. mixed precipitation last hour. but we are hovering right around freezing with the snow at lake level. that the good news. back home emeryville, light rain with a southeast wind at 20 miles an hour. so right now the heaviest precip is along the coast, and also up into the north bay where the strong cold front still is far to the north. so we will look for the next two to four hours for the rain to increase. notice much of the central bay looking at a bit of a lull right now with that blue. that means that you are either cloudy or have a little bit of light rain. but from bodega way through fort ross and genre, heavier rain. and the winds have been gusting to 20 miles an hour in oakland.

at least 15 miles an hour around mountain view and hayward. and also our coast. 32 miles an hour wind gusts half moon bay. so between pacifica and half moon bay we have the heavier rain. lighter rain from walt nut creek to berkeley. you see a darker shade of green right across the bay. and down around half moon bay, light rain right now but you see from the santa cruz mountains we have the moisture beginning to pick up along the mountains here. this will continue throughout the rest of the morning hours. in fact, the loop of the past several hours, and you will see how the darker yellows get into play here. also up in the north bay. pretty soon this all pushes on shore here. 48 antioch with a light rain in fairfield. heavy rain, gusty winds this morning, clearing out by the afternoon and evening hours. dry tomorrow for christmas day. the wind advisory through 1:00 in the north bay and 3:00 for san francisco. and the southern salinas valley. possibility of some locally heavy rain, downed trees and

power lines certainly a possibility with the saturated ground. so here's the satellite and radar composite. a little cold air could allow for an isolated thunderstorm and winds are even gustier within those thunderstorms. so the timing of it, 6:00 mainly sonoma at napa, but through the 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 hour the heart of the bay area. by 1:00 it's out of the north bay but heavy rain from the south bay, the santa cruz mountains. sunny breaks and dry conditions for christmas eve. in fact tonight looking at a chance of showers. an inch, inch and a half peninsula. four inches in the north bay mountains. we talked about the gusty winds. unfortunately tough travel to the sierra nevada. mid-upper 50 #* 50s today with clearing conditions first in the north bay by about 1:00." taking it later on through the afternoon in the south bay. showers in the afternoon christmas day. just a chance for wednesday and thursday. and then maybe into next

weekend." not big rain of a christmas, but certainly this morning the strongest that we will see the next seven days. >> and for those who can get to the sierra, great. >> yeah, i'm telling you, the winds will be gusting to over 60 miles an hour, though. dangerous. >> beware. thank you, lisa. >> coming up at 7:00 is good morning america. dan harris is joining us live from new york to tell us what they are working on. good morning. >> hey, carolyn, good morning to you. two storms set to swoop in just in times it make the post christmas journey home potentially a big mess. millions of travels may be affected. ginger is here to tell us when the two storms will affect most strongly. and the mad dash, as you well know, christmas 48 hours away. the last minute shoppers wondering where to get the best deals the day before christmas eve or christmas eve eve. we have all the last-minute tips and ways for you to save money and time.

and christmas criminals on a less happy note. caught on tape, some grinch captured red-handed as they try to steal people's purchases. check outweighs people tried and failed to sneak off with christmas gifts. most of them busted, which is the good news. and on a very positive note we are calling him st. nick. how this pro basketball player surprised basketball in need with a christmas they will never forget. a member of the new york knicks, amarie stoudemire. he's a great, great guy and we were along for the entire ride as he surprised this family. all of it coming up on gma. hope to see you then. >> that is wonderful. dan, you finished your last minute shopping? everything is set? >> i had an audience of one, my wife, and i got an e-mail with a couple of links in it, i clicked the links, pressed buy and done. >> that's the way to do it.

>> she's smart. >> happy holidays. >> thank you. you too. >> see you at seven. right now we will check out sports. this morning the raiders are on the road to play the carolina panthers. tonight the 49ers try to clinch the nfc west in seattle against the seahawks. last night the warriors, my warriors, lost in an overtime thriller to the l.a. lakers. here's schu with the highlights in this morning's sports. >> good morning. well, the warriors and lakers put on quite a show last night at oracle. it went back and forth more times than i did christmas shopping. both teams had a chance to win in regulation, but it went to overtime. steve nash back in the lineup for the first time since october 31st. warriors up 14 in the first. lakers storm back. nash at three. got it. and they answer. the jam. 104-103, warriors. the deep two, lakers back on top by one. david lee a double-double. 20 points, 11 boards. this gives his team the lead. but then metta world peace with the strong game. hits the three.

1108 - 106. under 30 seconds left. jared jack answers for golden state. ties it at 108. 29 for jack. we go to overtime and kobe took over. falls down, still makes the bucket. 34 for bryant. and warriors a last chance. steph curry misses. warriors gave away the rebound. what finish but the warriors lose an absolute heartbreaker. 118 ev115, the final. all right. college hoops, stanford hosted by long time rifle tennessee and the lead cardinal had too much game. former tennessee coach pat sumner was on hand probably thinking what everyone else was, how do we stop her? the first. she's there for the put back. a double-double, 21 points, 19 rebounds. stanford remains undefeated at 11-1 with a 73-60 holiday victory. for the men, cal hosting.

a break on the schedule for cal. it wasn't close. justin could be, 1 on the night. one-handed jam. and then the steal. you know what's coming. he had 23. cal shot 50% from the field and win it 85-53. usf facing san diego state in hawaii. cole with a three. but they got lit up. 33 points on the afternoon. san diego state now 10-1. dons drop to 5-5. 80-58, that final. the falcons beat the lions last night on saturday night football clinching the top spot in the nfc. home field advantage throughout the playoffs. receiver calvin johnson broke the single season record in receiving yards set back in 1995. it was all detroit fans really had to cheer about. their season is going nowhere. matt ryan threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns. watch the catch by julio jones. gets both feet down. falcons led at the half.

megatron needed 182 yards in two games to break the record. 21-yarder left him four yards shy of the record. which he got in the fourth quarter on this 26-yarder. calvin johnson has the most receiving yards in is single season. 892, handing the ball to his dad. he set an nfl record. 11 catches for 225 yards. falcons clinch the top spot in the nfc, a 31-18 victory. raiders in carolina. the highlights tonight at five and niners and seattle in seattle. i'm mike shumann. have a great day. and coming up next, the looming fiscal cliff. now new details between how talks between the president and house speaker boehner fell apart on friday. >> the rain and win, both are picking up. the waves coming over the seawall here in pacifica. we will have the latest on the

>> welcome back, everyone. the latest storm is hitting the bay area right now. it promises to be a boozezy before all is said and done. let's check in with our meteorologist lisa argen. >> carolyn, it is beginning to pick up along the coast, the north bay, the santa cruz mountains. here's a look at san francisco.

light rains here. the winds 20, 30 miles an hour with gusts to 40 miles an hour. but this is just the beginning. live doppler 7 on top of the mountain pinging up heavier rain from santa rosa to heelsburg. a low around the central bay but you can see some yellows and oranges. we will take you to the peninsula in a mommy. from santa rosa to windsor. bodega bay and through napa rain. but the light blue, a little lull but the wind gusts to 20 americans in oakland. 32 miles an hour half moon bay. look at pacifica down through san mateo, burling game, redwood city. heavier cells over the bay over the san mateo bridge and certainly off the coast here. we are looking at an enhancement. this will continue to push on in. we will see the rain increase here, light to moderate rain in the east bay. we will continue to track it for you. >> lisa, thank you.

that wind and rain churning up the surf all along the coast. abc7 news reporter kira klapper is in pacifica, kira, the pier has been off-limits. still the case? >> yes, still the case, carolyn. this morning, much to the display of many crabbers who were hoping to have a productive morning. it is windy. the waves are already coming over the wall here, the seawall this morning. as lisa said, it will only get worse. we have video of the closed pacifica pier. many crabbers were hoping to come out and take advantage of it this morning. but to the south, waves up to 15 feet expected along the coast. at rockaway beach the current swells are at 9 feet. they have gone from 9 1/2 to as low as 8 feet. they are expected to stay closed

for the duration of the storm. crabbers are disappointed about about the closer. >> this is my second time-out here. my first time-out here this time. my buddy and i thought let's go grabbing, he's got a grab net. it's disappointing. only time i get to don my waterproof wet mask and they aren't ready for me. i don't know what it takes to close a pir. , but this weather is let treacherous. >> and it's only getting worse. much more wind and the rain is getting heavy when the wind gusts push through and bring the rain horizontally. it's best to err on the side of caution. check your apc7 news.com app. looks like some bands of rain are pass to go the south ever us, heading more toward half moon day and red radioed with city and mountain view.

we will continue to track the progress throughout the morning but right now we are live. >> we can sear the wind howling in your report, sierra. we will check back with you later this morning. there are a few small outages over the ba he area right now. overnight pg&e crews were able to catch up on repairs from yesterday's storm. biggest outage this morning is in bay point where you see there are 873 customers in the dark. there's a smaller outage in san rafael where 114 customers are out. no estimate for when the power might be restored. this is weather related, and if you want to keep an eye on conditions anytime, you can go to our live doppler 7 hd on the web at abc7news.com. check out the conditions anytime, anywhere. >> drivers dealing with dangerous conditions due to icy conditions. it is now open for cars and big

rigs. u.s. 50 to south lake tahoe also has chain controls starting just east of placerville. i-80 was shut down for three hours yesterday because of spinouts. caltran held traffic at colfax and placer county. travelers should expect chain controls to continue. >> there's definitely going to be chain control for the next two days as least going into christmas. >> so here's the good news about the five feet of fresh snow that ski resorts report excellent condition force the always busy christmas week. stay with abc7 news news tore for continuing storm watch coverage. we will have the full forecast in just a few minutes. we are tracking this storm all day in our newscast and we will have powerly updates all day long after abc7 news at nine. can you check the live doppler 7hd anytime on abc7news.com.

the country is now just eight days away from falling off the looming fiscal cliff. >> the first holiday land in the dark but woke up to paradise. >> washington has a serious spinning problem. >> this played in the capitol and would echo through the house. >> the president's laws of raising tax rates would still leave -- >> the republican leader took a rhetorical holiday swipe at democrats. >> i'm stuck here in washington trying to prevent by fellow kentuckians from having to shell out more money to uncle sam next year. >> we are learning more about how the negotiations fell apart. unnamed source said when the speaker offered $800 billion in revenue by limit being deductions, the speaker asked what to i get?

the president reportedly responded you get nothing. i get that for free. unable to agree on a big deal on taxes and entitlements, the president is now hoping to get a small deal. extend middle class tax rates, extend some unemployment benefits and agree to a framework for a big deal. >> that's an achievable goal. that can get done in ten days. >> can it? consider speaker boehner's other words which are really echoing about making a deal. >> how we get there, god only knows. >> the president wasted no time getting into vacation mode. he played golf on saturday. white house officials tell me that staff members from both seeds will exchange e-mails and phone calls over the next couple of days. congress expected to be back at work on thursday. david curly, abc news, the white house. >> president obama is expected to attend the late senator's funeral in hawaii today. a public visitation was held yesterday in honolulu. casket carrying the 88-year-old veteran arrived there yesterday.

the senator lost an arm in world war two and was the first japanese american elected to the senate. he died on monday. his body lay in state at the capitol in washington for two days. >> up next, they answer the call to the holiday teeth troop. the made in america treat that's now filling cookie jars around the world. and a live look from the camera in san rafael where they are experiencing light rain, about 50 degrees. lisa will tell us whether that's going to last or get stronger. she has your

>> welcome back, everyone. it's 6:49. he are showing you live doppler

7hd. the red and the yellow are the hotspots bearing the brunt of the rain right now. you see santa rosa, cloverdale and further north heelsburg getting really slammed this morning. you can track the storms when ever, wherever this weekend by going to our website, abc7news.com to see leave doppler 7hd. now our contribution to abc's made in america series. and if your wheat tooth is calling this holiday season, there is an east bay business that can answer it. wayne freedman tells us too good gourmet is a made in america business with a long reach. >> oh, i love snicker doodles. >> and glen wong of oakland is reasonable. he wants holiday cookie deals. >> two dollars. how about this house?

the packaging along is worth more than that. >> which only begins to explain the daily frenzy at too good gourmet in san lorenzo. it's a fantasy land of the bright, the cheerful, the tasty, the obsessed >> she with came saturday and sunday and monday. >> merry christmas. >> blame it on the marketing instincts of jennifer. that's her. the one with the boxes of cookies all around her office. >> it began as trying to do one better than the animal cracker. >> it's the sweet tooth twist on the made in america theme. woman learns mba, learns business with big corporate bands good in 19978 starts a cookie company because she wanted something to market and sell. >> i'll just go for it. just go do it. see if it works and be willing to fail and then change and try again and fail again and try again. >> the concept, tasty cookies, combined with house created packaging.

>> i think people are impulsive and they see something they-like, they want to buy it. >> not that the packager jennifer always sees eye to eye. >> no. almost never. less than that. >> is there a less than never? >> not when a company turns out a quarter million cookers every single day. >> the world wants to buy us food. shipping to japan, korea, taiwan. we have to increase the made in usa symbol. >> so with the world a with sweet tooth. here's the saving grace. too good gourmet, a little sugar, spice, a little flour, and a boss that works the way some of us eat cookies, she never stops. >> all right. you can't help yourself, can you? >> i can't, no. >> and the cookies keep coming. in san lorenzo, abc7 news. >> another day, another storm.

>> yes, deja vu, right? well, you were here yesterday. we are looking at some pretty heavy rain south of san francisco and north of san francisco. wind advisories throughout the bay area. heavy rain pushing into the peninsula and also in the north bay. we will track it for you and tell you how long it's going to keep a soggy mess coming up. >> thank you, lisa. also ahead the little glow fish from the researchers say could hold the key to discovering life-saving drug

>> meteorologist lisa argen is here now. >> we are looking south of san francisco on the peninsula getting pretty good rain right now. we want to start in the sierra nevada where a winter storm warning continues here right on through tomorrow morning where one to two feet of additional snow is expected at lake level. 30 degrees at the tahoe valley airport with the winds gusting at 20 miles an hour. the golden gate bridge looking at light rain, 51 degrees. in san jose it's cloudy with 50 degrees and an east wind at 16. we will give you the the big picture first. the north bay and the peninsula and the santa cruz mountains

where we are picking up the yellow, the darker green and even some red. we are getting the enhancement along the coast. it's pushing into the east bay around fremont. we are going to start on the peninsula here. you notice from montara, moss beach. and mountain view across the bay into fremont. page middle retake a look at this cell here, across 280 some very heavy rain. we are look at more rain right around union city, fremont. this will continue to press to the east with much more to come. the gusty winds up to 20 miles an hour in oakland with the lighter rain around parts of walnut creek. look at south gate road and walnut creek, more moderate rain. and look at the heave rain from santa rosa. this all continues to press south and eastward throughout

the day area. right on through the rest of the morning hours. 50 san jose. good morning, san francisco. heavier wind getting underway. a wind advisory until 1:00. clearing throughout later afternoon and tonight giving us a dry christmas eve. wind advisory until 1:00 in the north bay, san francisco 3:00. 20 to 30 miles an hour winds and the gusts could be over 50 miles an hour. so this storm system counsel to push along the central coast and a few isolated thunderstorms are not out of the question. here's the timing for the rest of the morning. 6:00 we have the yellows appear. and through 8:00, 9:00 it begins to sink south through san francisco, the heart of the bay. later on 1:00 still looking at pretty good rain throughout the south bay but we are clearing out in the north bay. it will take until the 3:00, 4:00 area when the rest of the area begin to see the rates

decrease. we have seen increasing rain along the peninsula, through san mateo. good heelsburg up in the north bay up to three in. and an inch and a half in the south bay. santa cruz mountains should pick up a good soaking today. winter storm warning two to three feet before 7,000 feet and temperatures with the gusty south winds paid it in the upper 50s. winds will continue to be breezy throughout the later afternoon hours. we will look for the numbers to come down behind that cold front. we are dry tomorrow, though, and a little rain in the afternoon on christmas day. showers on wednesday. maybe a third of an inch of rain but a slight chance come thursday. friday looking good and into the end of 2012 maybe a little bit of wet weather. this is a big one this morning. >> isn't it kind of odd to have the one daybreak between today and tuesday? >> not really. we have the big low anchoring

the system coming in up to the north and west of us. we are sort of in this big trough that keeps them coming. not unusual but we are getting way saturated for this time of the year. >> you are right. thank you, lisa. researchers at ucf believe a tiny fish could help conquer devastating human diseases and perhaps change the way scientists test new medicines all at the same time. health and science reporter carolyn johnson explains. >> the doctor believes she's zebra fish to light the way to major drug discoveries. >> the big breakthrough was to use the firefly protein which gives a strong light signal. >> he and his colleagues are part of an international team that's using the zebra fish to screen potential treatments for conditions ranging from obesity to diabetes. they have attached a genetic light switch to a pathway associated the production of glucose or blood sugar. >> meaning when the fish produce glucose in the liver, the light shines up.

the result is a fish that can be used as a living, swimming litmus test. the green flow seen in this video is not only visible to researchers, it's also measurable. a brighter lights indicates a higher level of glucose, used as a barometer in research. as one study they zeroed in a potential obesity drug after screening nearly 2500 candidates using the genetically modified fish. >> we put three fish in and add the drug compounds like one per well so we can test roughly 100 drugs per plate. >> depending on the type of research involved, he believes the zebra fish could cut down on the need for animal testing in mammals. >> i think they can replace -- can never replace testing in mammals, but what they can do is they can gap the bridge between let's say you find a drug in vitro, like

in the protein, then they can test these in zebra fish and come down to the three best and then test these three in mice. >> providing a cheaper and more ethical alternative assign tests search for the breakthrough drugs to treat human disease. abc7 news. >> coming up next, the results from last night's super lotto plus. one ticket worth $23 million was purchased in the bay area. we will tell you where. with my e brewer,

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>> you will want to pay attention to these numbers from last night's super lotto plus. did you buy a ticket at the sunshine center pharmacy in south san francisco? someone who did got all six numbers to win the jackpot. merry christmas to you indeed! let's get a final check of our stormy accuweather forecast with meteorologist lease around. >> good morning. we are looking at hear rain increasing parts of the pen peninsula and gusty winds were we see the camera shaking in the live look this morning. we are picking up the heavy rain from santa rosa and heelsburg down to the peninsula. here's a look at the north bay from forestville and heavy rain, genre and fallon road. from redwood city to mountain view, alpine road into to fremont and hayward. 280 from woodside to the road.

we are looking at moderate rain. and the east bay, some moderate rain. further north, walnut creek lighter rain of. 580 and 800. the south winds gusting to 32 along the coast. we will continue to see this throughout the morning hours into the early afternoon. in the south bay that is. be careful out there. >> all right. you will are updates throughout the morning. that the it for now. thank you for joining us. abc7 news continues at 9:00 this morning. good morning america is next. happy holidays, everyone!

go good morning, america. this morning, the nightmare after christmas. two major storms moving in and they could mean misery for millions trying to get back home from the holidays. crunch time, as the clock runs out on time to buy gifts it's time to talk strategy. big chain, mom and pop or head to the web. we've shopped till we dropped and we have the answers. wheel of misfortune. how mispronouncing the winning phrase cost one game show contestant thousands of dollars. >> seven swans a swimmin'. >> it's created an uproar, and this morning, we have the contestant herself. and st. knick.