for excessive water use, requires new homes to have water efficient drip irrigation requires golf courses cemeteries and other large spaces to use less water. all that because the snowpack which accounts for about 30% of the state's water supply has dipped to 19% of normal for the date. the lowest on record. if californians don't cut their water usage by 25%, it means water districts would begin charging extra. >> if it comes to it if the regulations, you know mandate that, that's what we'll do. we'll basically set a water budget for every house and the chips will fall where they may. >> so the 25% is going to be measured against water use back in 2013 before the drought began. >> i could make the washer go into a gray water system. i have not done that. >> reporter: last year san franciscans reduced their water

use. the people who rely on hetch hetchy for their water supply haven't done enough. >> we'll put everybody on notice that it's belt tightening time again. >> reporter: those include wholesalers in counties like san mateo, northern santa clara and southern alameda. in san francisco lyanne melendez abc 7 news. a self-imposed mandatory water restriction kicked in today in benicia. homeowners can only water three days a week. there is no watering from 8:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night. they get most of their water from lake oroville which is only 65% full and that means the city is only getting 25% of what it would normally get from the lake this year. carolyn tyler is in benicia and she's going to show us how folks there have already met the governor's conservation goal already. some simple changes at home can help you save gallons of water every single day. we have a link to those details at abc7news.com. with this news of a record

low snowpack up in the sierra, there is a bit of good news. rain and snow is on the way. sandhya patel is outside with a look ahead. >> yeah dan there are two systems that are on the way and those systems could bring us rain and snow. let's take a look at live doppler 7 hd right now. up to our north we are tracking some showers mixed precipitation over the mountains. we will be seeing our share, it looks like. as you take a look at this computer animation starting this weekend. now saturday it is just cooler. sunday scattered light showers for easter. then as we head into early next week we have more showers for your monday night going into tuesday. i'll be back with a look at some short-term changes that are coming before those showers arrive in a few minutes. >> sandhya thanks very much. crews aren't taking any chances in this warm weather. a grass fire was quickly put out by crews on interstate 580 near eden canyon road just outsideedde castro valley. fire crews arrived on scene just

before 2:00 and crews were able to keep the fire from spreading. crews are on the scene of a hazmat spill in dublin. crews piled dirt at a bottom of a drainage pipe to stop the flow of an unknown white substance. around 1:00 this afternoon someone noticed this white substance flowing out of a pipe and into alamo creek near sierra court along the alamo canal trail. again in dublin. we don't know yet what was leaking or from where it came. a scary moment for a cab driver in san francisco. a youtube video shows a man attacking the driver with a padlock. you can see what happened. this is the dash cam recording that moments before and during that horrible attack. abc 7 news reporter vic lee joins us with more. >> reporter: cheryl, it was scary. as you'll see totally unprovoked. in fact, the cab driver was nice to the passenger even telling him he would save money by going a shorter route. as you said, the weapon the assailant chose to use strange. a padlock. it happened yesterday morning just after midnight.

the entire ride was recorded on the cab's camera in the front. the passenger hailed a cab driven by ben valice at 7th and townsend. he told the driver to go to the b.a.r.t. station and fifth and market. here's what happened next. >> if you're just going to b.a.r.t., there's a station even closer straight ahead. >> which one? >> city center. >> for real? >> yeah. >> thank you. that will save you a couple bucks. >> reporter: when they reached their destination 7th and market the passenger began pummelling valice with a padlock and tried to rob him. >> the passenger was trying to take the driver's electronics and other type of devices that were in the front. >> reporter: but he got nothing and ran into the b.a.r.t. station and disappeared. this is the second assault on a san francisco cab driver in over a month. this yellow cab driver suffered serious facial injuries from a brutal beating after his assailant refused to pay the fare to san bruno.

the cab camera again recorded the merciless attack. you can see the man on top of the driver repeatedly beating him until he loses consciousness. the city of san francisco mandated cameras in taxicabs years ago. among the reasons to protect drivers. since then robberies have declined. >> you have a very good view if the camera is operating properly of the back seat of the passengers in the back seat as well. >> reporter: obviously these predators need reminding of that. vic lee, abc 7 news. >> incredible. well there are new developments in the case of two homeless men who got into a fight with two berkeley ambassadors. this is video of the march incident. maybe you've seen it. it shows the berkeley community ambassadors telling two homeless men to leave an alleyway. one of them starts punching the homeless man repeatedly. there is goes. the homeless men were arrested after the ambassadors claimed they were attacked. after reviewing video of the fight, the alameda county d.a. dropped all the charges today against the homeless men. one of the community ambassadors

has been fired. the other has been suspended. abc 7 news has learned the cause of two destructive fires in san francisco. both were accidental. a fire in january killed one person at this mission street apartment building and displaced 40 others. investigators say the fire began in a wall but don't know what ignited the flames. investigators say a fire that burned two homes in potrero hill last christmas was electrical. it caused $6 million in damage. a palo alto teacher has been hospitalized after being burned during a science experiment. this happened today at palo alto high school. the teacher who has not been identified suffered first and second-degree burns to 18% of the body. nobody else was injured and the school has not said what the experiment was that caused those burns. good news for b.a.r.t. customers in the east bay. a track improvement means more trains, less crowding and shorter delays. b.a.r.t. opened a second crossover track between the pleasant hill and walnut creek station today. it means high-speed trains can

switch to the opposite track if there is another train stuck or if there's a problem on the tracks of some kind. trains can also turn around there and go back to san francisco, allowing more trains to run. >> right now if there's a disabled train the whole system suffers because we can't go around it we have to pull it out. so it cascades all the way back through the system. but with a crossover, we can cross over around it. we can just go around it and keep on our schedule. >> b.a.r.t. says another crossover near wall net creek reduced delays from 40 minutes to just five. a bridge increase funded this project. major questions about the fifth lapse in security in less than a year at mineta san jose international airport. this time it was a 20-year-old who jumped the fence last night. last year it was a teenage stowaway. david louie joins us why the

airport is not stopping intruders. >> reporter: here's what's troubling about security here. we're told there are cameras trained on that fence line. yet the previous time there was an intrusion that happened at nighttime, the video was so dark it was hard to see the intruder at all. last night deanna predel was captured but only after she was over the fence. she recently moved back into the sunnyvale house where she learned for ten years after breaking up with a boyfriend in san francisco. her uncle, who doesn't want to be identified by name or face shares the house with her father and grandmother. >> just a dumb action on her part. i don't know why she did it. >> reporter: is she impulsive? >> she can be stubborn. i guess she may be a little bit impulsive, yeah. >> reporter: again, no knowledge of drug or mental health issues? >> no no, no. >> reporter: her uncle says she's quite an artist. these samples are on a public website deviant art.

mineta airport is seeking funds to raise the height of six miles of fences that ring the facility. >> what we have done certainly is increased the patrols along our fence line over the past years, and that has been a real deterrent. >> reporter: security experts say san francisco and oakland airports have an advantage with the bay, making access more difficult, but not impossible. mineta san jose says its layers of security are working because predel was caught, but a nationally known safety expert says san jose may need a system that uses thermal cameras and analytics already tested by tsa at buffalo's airport. >> we tried over 900 approaches to the airport and every single one was accurately detected. that's outside the fence line. so that means if we can detect people reliably outside the fence line then they're just not going to get in. >> reporter: such a system could cost millions to install but a councilmember who heads the transportation committee says cost is not an issue. in san jose david louie, abc 7 news.

coming up next appealing for health. today's rally in san jose brought a lot of people far from home. and some alarming news tonight about whales and polar bears. the details next. and to the rescue. how california lawmakers barbara boxer and nancy pelosi saved another congressperson from an embarrassing situation. plus -- >> so maybe this will become the new thing in sports. >> show and tell day at at&t park. giants fans, find out how your gameday experience is about to chan

around here, we're all about fast. that's why xfinity is perfect for me. with millions of wifi hotspots all over the place including one right here at the shop now we can stream all things fast and furious. you've done it again, carlos! with the fastest in-home wifi and millions of hotspots xfinity is perfect for people who love fast. don't miss furious 7 in theaters april 3rd. tomorrow hundreds of people will gather for a memorial service for san jose police officer michael johnson, who was killed in the line of duty last week. there are several road closures along the procession route.

officer johnson's body will leave the funeral home in los gatos at 10:00 a.m. the procession will head up winchester and turn on stevens creek boulevard before ending at the s.a.p. center for a public memorial at 11:00. we'll have live coverage of the memorial service as soon as the procession begins. we'll also stream it for you online at abc7news.com. the trial hasn't started yet but already attorneys are battling over a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of saratoga high school student audrey pott. lawyers for two teenagers who sexually assaulted pott and shared photos of her want the trial moved out of san jose. her parents blame that attack for her suicide a short time later. defense attorneys are also asking that the courtroom be closed to the public. the judge did not rule on today's requests. the trial is set to begin on monday. meantime new details in what led up to the murder-suicide at a palo alto senior living facility earlier this month. police believe a resident

69-year-old mark miller shot and killed the complex manager, 70-year-old vincent collins because miller thought collin was stealing from him. miller then killed himself. six weeks earlier police say miller called them because he thought collins was taking things from his apartment when he wasn't home. an officer determined that was not the case. a fourth man charged in the shooting death of an oakland mother admits to giving an assault rifle to one of the gunmen. 21-year-old michael stills was in court today. he was arrested last week on murder charges in the death of shameel pierce. pierce was caught in the crossfire of a west oakland shootout march 9th. she was trying to shield her children after several men got into a fight. a caravan made up of several parents of 43 mexican students who disappeared last september. the parents are traveling across the united states to talk about in injustices in mexico. they held up banners of the 43 students. they disappeared following a

protest in the state of guerrero. there are accusations their mass killing was ordered by local politicians and police. >> we have to do something, and i'm afraid that we've got a revolution. >> the parents' caravan will be in uc berkeley tomorrow and in san francisco saturday. a victory for environmental groups that say the navy underestimates the threat sonar training poses to marine life off the southern california coast. a federal judge ruled a federal agency which approved the navy's testing permit acted illegally in allowing the testing. the court found the testing would harm more than 16 kinds of marine life. the navy can appeal. climate change can lead to the extinction of polar bears. they face starvation as melting sea ice forces the animals onto land and away from the main food source of seals. a team of scientists led that

study. some biologists disagree with the findings saying polar bears can adapt to a new diet. weeks after walmart announced pay raises for its workers mcdonald's is stepping up as well. >> 7 on your side's michael finney is here with that story. >> this is really becoming a trending. walmart t.j. maxx in many states is raising minimum wage. now mcdonald's is jumping in saying it will increase hour lie pay. they will earn at least a dollar above the local minimum wage. however, it will only apply to company-owned stores not franchises, which make up 90% of the restaurants. however all mcdonald's employees will get new perks no matter the location. it will include paid time off and tuition aid. the makers of a luxury cadillac sedan have a new way to catch burglars with cameras. the new ct-6 has security cameras that snap pictures of everything around the car if the alarm goes off. they're the same cameras that help with parking.

sensors will trigger the alarm if glass is broken or the car is moved. the sedan will go into production later this year. you think traffic is horrendous in the bay area, right? well it may be a small comfort to know other cities are far worse. san francisco ranked number 26 among cities with the heaviest rush hour traffic. the survey was done all over the world by gps maker tomtom. it it measured how long a 30-minute commute really takes. where is traffic the worse? tomtom says in is stan bull. commuters there get stuck in traffic on average 29 minutes a day. second worst is mexico city, then rio de janeiro. los angeles came in number ten. commuters there sit in traffic 25 minutes a day on average. in san francisco not a whole bunch better. we're stuck on average 23 minutes a day. it just seems like a lot more

than that. >> at least we have pretty views. >> we do have nice views. >> michael thank you. well an artist is bringing his take on patriotism to the bay area. scott levado began work at the antioch vfw. you can see the firstar coming into view on the side of the building. the artist is on a six-month tour across the united states where he will paint flags at veterans post buildings in all 50 states. he expects to finish this flag by saturday. this is the only site he's working on in california. if you want to check it out, it's at the vfw post on 6th street in antioch. former florida governor jeb bush is in the middle of a two-day fund-raising visit to the bay area. the republican is holding private meet-and-greets in palo alto and san francisco to raise money for his right to rise super pac as he gets ready for a run at the white house next year. former congressman barney frank says he has two bay area lawmakers to thank for his fancy

footwork. the massachusetts democrat said he and his partner were too shy to dance at the white house christmas party back in 1987 so in stepped barbara boxer. senator boxer and congresswoman nancy pelosi seen here dancing at franks' wedding in 2012. the two women danced with the two men and discreetly stepped away. frank wasn't trying to make a statement, he just wanted to dance. well, let's talk about the weather forecast. a little bit of rain we're tracking. >> we're hoping, sand iahya. >> yes. we actually have a couple of opportunities for rain here in the bay area. this afternoon blue skies behind me still on the breezy side which is typical for spring. let me show you live doppler 7 hd and we'll talk about what's ahead and when you'll need those umbrellas. a few high clouds have been passing through the bay area they're harmless. winds gusting to 32 at sfo not quite as windy as yesterday, but still on the breezy side. and here is a view of the blue

skies you're looking at from our exploratorium camera. temperatures are on the cool side. 58 in san francisco it is 66 in oakland 62 san jose. half moon bay in the mid-50s. a live picture from lake tahoe showing you quite a bit of cloud cover. there is a slight chance of snow showers saturday night. better opportunity between sunday and tuesday when we have our chance of showers here in the bay area. now numbers right now from santa rosa to livermore all in the 60s. here's a view from our golden gate bridge camera and it is a bright view. sunny and milder for your thursday and friday, turning cooler this weekend and we have our first opportunity for showers on easter sunday. so take a look at the satellite and the radar here. high pressure is coming in a little closer to us and that means we're in for sunny days and mild afternoons at least through the end of the workweek. cooler air, showers arrive on sunday with the first system. there's another one that follows monday night into tuesday. now, it appears as though we're not going to get rid of the winds completely. this evening staying a little on the gusty side going into

tomorrow morning. still breezy for your morning commute. and then the winds will be typical for this time of year, gusts up to 30 miles an hour. 27 in half moon bay. here's what we're keeping an eye on. saturday you'll notice cloud cover and cooler weather. on sunday we have some showers coming in easter morning, continuing through the midday hours and steadier showers next week monday night into tuesday. when all is said and done we're looking at anywhere from a tenth to a half an inch of rain through tuesday, so that is obviously encouraging. tomorrow morning mid-30s to the low 50s. it will be breezy, it will be on the cool side. make sure you bundle up when you head out the door. for the afternoon, sun shining in the south bay it's a little warmer. 72 in santa clara, san jose. 76 degrees in gilroy, on the peninsula you're looking at mild conditions. 73 redwood city, 62 and breezy in pacifica 63 in half moon bay, the sunset district. 67 downtown san francisco. north bay, low to mid-70s from

santa rosa to napa. san rafael 72. east bay it's going to be a nice sunny day. 71 in oakland, 73 fremont. don't forget the sunscreen inland. 73 livermore and fairfield. a look at the accuweather seven-day forecast milder the next couple of days. plenty of sun. it cools off a bit on saturday. sunday is much cooler. chance of rain easter sunday morning. monday night into tuesday we have more showers coming into the forecast and we'll keep it on the cool side. here is my thinking, better late than never. i know we didn't get a whole lot of rain between january through march. april things are switching up a bit. dan cheryl. >> we'll take whatever we can get at this point. thanks very much. basketball fans steph curry's amazing play last night is producing a lot of copy cats. that's next. plus new at 6:00 -- >> i was upset. i was really really upset. >> from 7 on your side michael finney, a bay area woman's despair after the flower arrangement for her brother's

funeral never arrives. michael says there is a lesson

the sacramento kings are poised to make history without even stepping on the court. espn reports the team will sign a 7'5", 360-pound center. it will be the first player of indian descent to play in the nba. he spent the entire season with the reno big horns, that's sacramento's d-league affiliate. kings owner is one of india's most celebrated businessmen. you've got to see this, warriors guard steph curry's crossover move on chris paul last night is the talk of the nba this afternoon. watch this behind-the-back dribble along the baseline that sent chris paul falling as curry hit a jumper. curry led the team with 27 points in last night's win. a diehard curry fan posted her impression of the crossover on vine today. chris paul could not help but take it all in stride, sharing

one of the many memes about the play on instagram with the #gottalaughatyourself. and don't forget, abc is your home of the nba finals. live coverage begins june 4th. if the raiders wanting to stay in oakland there is no more red tape in their way. the city council passed several key measures for the proposed coliseum city project in east oakland. the council certified an environmental report semd the specific plan to develop and rezone the area for three new sports venues plus 6,000 homes, retail and office space. the measures that needed approval if the city hopes to reach a deal to keep the raiders. the a's are not interested in coliseum city and the warriors are planning to move to san francisco. but oakland hopes to reach a deal that will work for all three teams. imagine going to a san francisco giants game this year and being able to trade up to a better seat. no april fool's joke here that is just some of the new things

unveiled by the team for the 2015 season. there is a new food court behind the garden that includes its own garlic fries stand. the giants are tops in major league baseball with 30,500 season ticket fans. the team will let them trade or sell their seats without any restrictions. >> we believe it's an open market and the fans can go to whatever site they want. stubhub is the official provider for major league baseball. >> also new a second digital display that will include birthday and other messages. the team also showed off some of its "we are giant" tv commercials which are just terrific. we have a lot more ahead. a whale of an exhibit. giants of the deep come alive in san fran

♪ ♪ whoo! mmm! ♪ ♪ ♪ oh yeah ♪ [ male announcer ] discover your new orleans. start exploring at followyournola.com. coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00, you've seen how bad the snow situation is in the sierra.

tonight we have even more visual evidence of just how dire it is. it's really stunning. also the banner now hanging over the yerba buena tunnel on the bay bridge. are officials signing themselves up for trouble? plus -- the musical version of the demonstration that changed the way the world looked at computers nearly 50 years ago. all coming up in half an hour on abc 7 news at 6:00. well, an exhibit all about the world's largest animal is now on display in san francisco. >> abc 7 news was at the california academy of sciences today. dignitaries led a traditional blessing on the whale exhibit on loan from a new zealand museum. the museum has dozens of scale and artifacts. >> it's a chance for visitors to get up close and see these incredibly large mammals. we have a large skeleton of sperm whales and variety of other different whales around the world. >> you can enjoy whales giants

of the deep at the california academy of sciences starting on friday. >> the whales will be on display until the end of tonight, the massive and deadly fireball in the gulf. the pictures now coming in. the workers jumping for their lives. the cell phone videos taken by the survivors. the water emergency in the west tonight. from this to this. california tonight ordering extreme measures. also breaking tonight, the massive cheating scandal and the verdict. elementary schoolteachers principals convicted. taken away in handcuffs. the jet crash in the alps. new details about that disputed video inside the plane, the final moments. and the airline ceo in front of the camera. what he would not answer today. and the investigation tonight, this new york city police detective, caught on video. >> how long have you been in this country? >> what he says to this uber driver. the passenger in the backseat recording the entire thing.