w. >> ladies day. >> oh, yeah. >> how was your holiday? >> it's good. freezing. i was promised an ice scraper in my stocking. didn't get one. i had the credit card out there. >> running a little late. >> but he's on his way. >> we're going to be looking at some modifying temperatures, but boy, it's a cold start out there. in fact, temperatures around the bay right now are ranging from the upper 20s where there's a windchill factor in the north bay. 35 in san jose. and around the bay we're looking at some milder numbers from alameda to san francisco. low 40s there. but overall, grab the jacket if you're going to be out early. 20s to the low 40s. upper 40s to low 50s later on this afternoon. in fact, we will hit 60s in the next few days. details coming up. good morning, alexis. >> good morning. that is sounding good right about now. taking a look at our traffic maps, we've got green all across the board. i'm expecting a light morning commute if you are one of the

few that does have to work today. zooming in here, northbound 101 just north of the 92 interchange, we don't have a blocking issue as far as blocking is concerned. but we have a large structure fire. sounds like a house fire in that same area. a lot of folks are calling in reporting a lot of smoke. just be aware of that. i don't think that's going to be a major slowdown. we'll look at changes for mass transit coming up. so many of us shocked when we heard the news of george michael's passing. he died yesterday at just 53 years old. >> abc 7's amy hollyfield is live with reaction to the singer's sudden passing. >> reporter: good morning. fans say they can't believe he's gone and they can't believe this year that we have had. george michael's publicist says the singer died peacefully in his home of heart failure. and celebrities have been expressing their grief. celebrities like elton john who said, what a deep shock this is.

fans say they feel the same. >> yeah. he was an icon. so, yeah, very energetic, entertaining person. it's a tragedy. it's very sad to see him go. >> what is with 2016? us losing all of our favorite people? >> reporter: he is the latest musical talent to die this year. we also lost prince and david bowie. george michael was only 53 years old. his family is asking for privacy. live in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >> thank you. andrew ridgely tweeted out heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend. forever loved. elton john wrote on instagram, i am in deep shock. i have lost a beloved friend. a brilliant artist. my heart goes out to his family, friends, and all of his fans. take a look.

actor george takei made this tribute. rest with the glittering stars, george michael. you found your freedom, your faith. it was your last christmas and we shall miss you. >> and we have posted this picture remembering george michael on our twitter page. share it by following us and retweeting it. in developing news, a memorial to the victims of a suspected dui crash in san jose is growing. a woman and a teenager lost their lives. just after midnight on sunday, officers were called to capital express and snell avenue. you see the location on the map. they found a malibu and lexus involved in a crash. a 25-year-old woman was behind the wheel of the malibu believed to be under the influence. she died after crossing the center median. a boy in the lexus died. yesterday mourners tied flowers to a pole near the site of the crash. raiders quarterback derek carr will have surgery on his broken leg today according to "sports illustrated."

his fibula was snapped on saturday against the colts. after the sack he said it's broken to anyone who would hear him. carr was supposed to have surgery yesterday, but it was postponed so he could spend christmas with his family. the raiders are still in the playoffs but they have some work to do. kansas city took care of the broncos last night eliminating the super bowl champs from the post season. a denver win would have clinched the division. they need to win on new year's day or have the chiefs lose to san diego 37. it is so cold and frozen in the upper western states that one meteorologist says, nothing will be moving until this afternoon. in fact, post-christmas shoppers and travelers coming home will have to deal with a nasty combo of snow, sleet, and wind. janay norman reports. >> reporter: it's the gift that keeps on giving. >> i love this white christmas. >> reporter: winter weather

making for a white christmas and tough travel the day after. >> we're happy and making silly faces and singing christmas songs to get the time going. >> reporter: in arizona, snow brought two major highways to a stand still. cars, trucks, and drivers stranded along interstate 40 outside of flagstaff. >> i don't know. just waiting. that's all i can do, right? >> reporter: getting home or to the mall could be tricky today across the country. in the northern plains, it's a slippery mess where freezing rain turned to snow. transportation officials in the dakotas shutting down more than 600 miles of roadway along interstate 90, i-94, and 83 because of drifting snow and near-zero visibility. some of the same areas under a blizzard warning and could get more than two feet of snow. rain and possible storms could move through nebraska, kansas, missouri, oklahoma, and texas. >> i hope i can get home.

>> reporter: the winter weather wasn't just packed with snow and freezing rain but also high winds. in nebraska, about 800 people lost power and there were reports of a possible tornado. janay norman, abc news, washington. it's 6:06 in the a.m. if you're looking to recycle your christmas tree, curbside pickup begins today. including in the east bay, south bay, and san francisco. just leave your tree next to your recycling bin on your regular collection day. be sure to take it off the stand, take off all the decorations. the trees will be turned into compost. the tree, but don't recycle your amazon boxes just yet. after the break, how you can help the company pay it forward this week. also ahead, the reason uni drivers may be in for a multi-million-dollar payday. let's take a live look

outside. we're keeping a close eye on your weather and your roads. they are very light today. that's really nice. that's really nice. we're giving alexis

good morning to you. it is monday and you are definitely shivering in the east bay, but you're also experiencing some breezy winds if you're in the higher elevations. 20s in san ramon with dublin up to 31. balmy, right? around the bay, we've got low 40s. upper 20s in the north bay. if you're not experiencing the frosty conditions, it is breezy out there. we're warmer where the winds are blowing. but overall, some of you may have a little bit of frost out there. it's quiet outside, we clear conditions today. but overnight lows again will be on the chilly side and be sunny the next several days. good morning, alexis. >> good morning. i don't think you're going to have much trouble if you do have to head into work or school today. i don't think you're going to have a lot of company. take a look at the emoryville camera. really no major issues. quick check of some mass transit schedules today. no service for ace rail.

bart will be on a limited commute. and muni on a sunday schedule today. just double check before you head out. we'll take a look at really light drive times coming up in ten minutes. all right 6:11 now. you may still have lots of boxes lying around frommed the online orders. amazon has come up with a great idea to get rid of them. they're partnering with goodwill. fill the empty box with clothing, household goods, anything you no longer want except electronics. print your free shipping label, drop it at the post office. this is the website for the label. to go givebackbox.com. they'll deliver it to the ne nearest goodwill. be on the lookout for this little gal. coming up, how she's helping passengers so they won't have to cry wee wee wee all the way home. >> very funny. all right. as we head to break, we leave you with abc 7 news now. a chilly start but glittering bay area.

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christmas day typhoon in the philippines. four people are now confirmed dead. one person died while being pinned. three others were swept away by a flash flood. continued to roar over a

congested region near manila. the storm has already destroyed homes, cut power to five provinces. we are learning pilot error is likely to blame for yesterday's russian military plane. this is as russian officials down play the possibility of terrorism. chuck seivertson has the latest. >> reporter: as mourners placed flowers in memory of the loss, pluck parts of the tragedy from the icy waters of the black sea. a russian military plane took off sunday morning from the airport in sochi. two minutes later, it crashed taking 84 passengers and 8 crew members into the waves. by air and by sea, more than 3,000 responders are on the scene working through the night they have recovered some bodies and fragments of the plane. the flight recorders have no radio beacons making their

recovery more difficult. the flight crew reported no problems before the disaster and the plane's wreckage was scattered over a wide area. raising the possible specter of terrorism. among the victims, 64 members of the alexandra ensemble of the russian military. russia's president vladimir putin declared monday a national day of mourning. we will conduct a thorough investigation, he said, and do everything to support the victims' families. in sochi monday night they came to pay their respects. not the mystery surrounding the boomed flight. abc news, new york. meanwhile back here at home, we are watching some really cool temperatures. >> that's right. but we also have a combination of some gusty winds. real variable where you are. as we start off this morning, everyone is clear and we are checking out live doppler 7 right now. you'll notice the lack of cloud cover. so if you're in one of our protected valleys and your skies

are clear, it is chilly out there. here's a live look outside from mt. tam and the visibility is great. oakland, 41 for you. mountain view, 34 degrees. some cold pockets of air through gillroy. 36. half-moon bay, winds gusting to 30 miles an hour. it's very breezy but that's help mixing the atmosphere and allow a slightly warmer start around the water. it's quite brisk. winds anywhere from 20 to 35 miles an hour. if you're up about a thousand feet, you're feeling those gusty winds. 29 in santa rosa with the windchill. feels like it's about 26. 33 in fairfield. 32 in livermore. and walnut creek, you are at 36 degrees. when you look at the winds, they don't look too impressive. but right here at the coast, up to 36 miles an hour. and mainly in the upper elevations. but as these mix down, it is for

the milder air. not too hard to take in spots this morning. so no frost advisories, no freeze warnings. though some of you may feel like you need to give yourself some extra time and put on the little sweater for the dog if you're headed out. because it's cold in spots. so it's chilly. sunshine today, milder air returns. and so that will translate into milder evenings as well. so as we look at our chance of rain throughout the next seven days, it's really about nothing. by friday we'll have a few more clouds. the reason why we're seeing such gusty winds right now, there is a weather system off shore. you can see the cloudiness there. that's allowing for some breezy easterly winds. statewide if you're traveling to the sierra, nevada, no problems here. mid-30s in lake tahoe. 46 in yosemite. but this morning, minus 6 in the sierras. yeah, tress for the weather if you're headed up that way. eventually we're going to see the 60s move our way. so highs today in a narrow

range. low to mid-50s. plenty of sunshine. so by 2:00, 3:00 in the afternoon, should feel pretty good in oakland, san mateo, palo alto. overnight lows, though, once again will see temperatures hovering in and around freezing. inland areas especially around our east bay, north bay. but closer to the water it will be milder. so the accuweather sempb-day forecast, check it out. look at the 60s. it's going to feel like spring by the middle of the week. >> good morning, lisa. and i am basically counting cars over here in the traffic center this morning. live look at the south bay right now. this is 101 and 880. normally that inbound side, the traffic coming towards us would be filling in at this point in the morning or maybe even quite heavy right now. but one day after christmas, most people still off for the holiday. not complaining. if you are up this morning having to get moving, you should not see any problems. you see green on the traffic

maps. one of the slowest spots for the morning commute to 580, check that out. 59 miles an hour and 63 miles an hour once you make it to 580. everything looking great there. drive times this morning, highway 4 to the maze, 18 minutes. just eight minutes across the bay bridge. and if you're heading to the airport, green in nine minutes. >> thank you. "good morning america" is coming up at 7:00 here on abc 7. >> paula faris is alive with a look at what's ahead. good morning, paula. >> good morning. it's great to be with both of you this morning. coming up, it's our big story. we're talking about the loss of a pop giant. george michael has died. this morning we look back at the life of a musical trail blazer whose career spanned four decades. people magazine's executive editor who covered him extensively and dr. jen ashton

will be joining us live in studio. also in politics, the big political headline over the weekend, donald trump announcing that he will, indeed, the trump foundation. also why a top staffer is backing out of the trump administration just days after he was appointed. plus the best deals on this day after christmas. where to shop, what to look for, and how to smoothly return your unwanted gifts. becky is here with all of your holiday trips and tricks. what say you? are you in for some more shopping or have you had enough? because there's deals out there. >> never enough. time to snap up the deals. we're ready to go. >> we have our shopping shoes on. >> thanks so much, paula. see you soon. all right. are you guys ready to bring in the new year with some new laws? yep. coming up, there are a few you need to know about including about schools and guns. plus an overwhelming show of support this christmas. why a hayward family who lost their home has a new reason to smile this morning.

and as you get your day into gear, keep an eye on weather and traffic during the break. pretty light out there this morning. we'll be right back. oooh. wowww. there it is. it's the red tag sales event and people are excited to bring in the new year with a new chevrolet. i'm a huge chevy fan. how would you feel about starting 2017 in a new chevy? it sounds wonderful. honestly, i would take any one. oh heck yeah! i want to get one tomorrow. fantastic! turn it on, let's go. during the red tag sales event get two deals in one. find your tag for an average total value over ninety-six hundred dollars on chevy silverado all stars. hurry, the red tag sales event ends january 3rd.

boy, what a difference a year makes for washington reporting

jason nazaian. he tweeted this yesterday. after spending the last two in prison, i'm going to enjoy my christmas this year. the former tehran bureau chief was in prison for 18 months along with his wife on charges of spying before his release last january. his editor tweeted, quote, last year jason rezian was in prison in iran. this year he brought cookies to "the washington post" newsroom. happening today, hanukkah celebrations continue in san francisco's union square. the third of eight candles will be lit at the grand menorah. it was named after the rock promoter. he was instrumental in helping to build it in 1975. a candle will be lit each day until the end of the year when there will be a new year's eve parade. today's lighting is at 5:00. also happening today, a very special treat for holiday

travelers at sfo. lilu the therapy pig is back and she is cute. she's in style. lilou part of the support to relieve stress of travelers. airport officials decided to integrate lilou into the brigade. you can't miss her. she's dressed in a tutu. she may not wag her tail, but she is looking forward to meeting everybody. >> but i think she is wagging her tail. she's doing everything. she shakes. she goes in circles. and her tail's going back and forth. she's adorable. all right. did you not get the pet you wanted for christmas? well, you are in luck. because the humane society could still make your holiday dreams come true. plus helping to meet the demand in silicon valley. the new push for high school students. plus the latest on the sudden passing of singer george michael.

fans are remembering him this morning. good morning to you. despite the breezy winds in the hills, we are still very cold out there. here's a look at some of the numbers in the south bay. freezing in santa clara. it's 35 in san jose. mountain view's at 34. so grab the jacket. it is a cool start elsewhere around the bay. low 40s. we'll be back with a look at your afternoon highs coming up. >> keep on top of the weather and traffic throughout the commercial break with abc 7 news now. now. you can see the

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. who's up with us on this holiday or maybe at work? maybe at home? we're glad you're here. it is 6:30. >> we're here with meteorologist lisa argen and traffic reporter alexis smith. good morning. >> traffic or no traffic, i'm here. >> like today. >> yeah, yeah, it is. we'll keep it that way. >> you need a bit of a break. we're talking about still the cold weather feeling like december. winter. grab the jacket. it is pretty breezy out there in spots. as we check out the numbers in a live look outside, 7:24 the official sunrise in san francisco. check out gillroy.

36. 35 in san jose. winds up to 40 miles an hour at the coast. upper elevations 20 to 30 miles an hour. especially in our east bay valleys. it's 30 in nevada. and as you get your day going, you'll need the jacket. then by the afternoon, lots of sunshine. low 50s for some areas on the peninsula, san francisco about 52. could see some frost again tonight. and milder days ahead. alexis? >> good morning. you can see that camera kind of shaking around. breezy in some areas today. but we don't have any bridge advisories for high wind. so you should be okay. very light through the bay bridge toll plaza right now. i'm thinking we probably will not get those flipped on all day today. and a quick check of mass transit. we have some schedule changes. ac transit on a sunday schedule today. also capitol corridor on a weekend holiday schedule today. san francisco ferry did not run. they will resume regular service today. check ahead before you go. we'll look at some light drive

times coming up next. >> thank you. this morning the entire world is mourning the loss of singer george michael. he died suddenly at his home yesterday in london. >> he was just 53 years old. amy hollyfield is live with the reaction to the singer's death. good morning, amy. >> reporter:natasha. yeah, fans tell us george michael is on their minds this morning. he did die peacefully in his home. it is believed he died of heart failure. elton john calling him -- this shocking and calling him a brilliant artist. boy george says this is devastating. fans this morning also are in disbelief. >> so sad. i was actually singing his songs in my head this morning coming into work. i heard it -- i read it in the news last night and then a friend text me this morning, another big music fan. but it brings -- stuff brings

back a lot of memories. very sad. >> reporter: george michael won two grammys. he sold over 100 million albums. his family released a statement confirming his death and asking for privacy. fans also tell us they can't believe what a year it has been and all the musical talent we have lost with david bowie dying this year, prince, and leonard cohen. now george michael at the age of 53. amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >> it has been a tough year for the entertainment industry. many artists are taking to social media to pay tribute. sam smith shared this tweet saying i would not be the artist i am if it wasn't for you. here's one from madonna. farewell my friend. another great artist leaves us. and elton john says this. quote, i am in a deep shock. i've losted a beloved friend, the kindest generous soul.

and a brilliant artist. we have this picture remembering george michael on our twitter page. you can share it by retweeting it. 6:34 now. berkeley police are investigating a shooting. bullets shattered a store front window and hit a car yesterday around 2:00 p.m. the person inside the car was hurt by shattered glass. no other injuries being reported right now. officers found multiple shell casings on the ground. developing news out of san francisco where the city's muni drivers may get $8 million from the settlement of an overtime lawsuit. the litigation first began back in 2012. then grew into a class action lawsuit. at issue is whether they denied drivers overtime for certain travel issues. according to the chronicle, the settlement will go to the city's transportation board for approval next month. california getting ready to ring in 2017 with some changes

you should know about. for some of us, the new year will bring bigger paychecks. minimum wage goes to $10.50 an hour. new gun control regulations will also go into effect in the new year including background checks for ammunition sales. also terminally ill patients will be allowed to use experimental drugs that do not yet have full approval. in the new year, public schools will be barred from using the name redskins for sports teams and mascots. thousands of people considered low income or homeless were treated to a traditional christmas day meal and they were served by hundreds of volunteers and colleg athletes in levi stadium. at the church as the university of utah's football team served up some christmas cheer with a side of donated prime rib, mashed potatoes, and dessert. >> i love doing stuff like this. what better way to spend

christmas than give back to people who don't have much or have anything at all. >> abc 7 news was also at st. anthony's where 34,000 people got some hoosier hospitality this holiday. they helped serve the meal to those less fortunate in the community. >> right now it's christmas and we're giving back to the community. i think that's what it's all about. being an athlete, giving back and whatnot. so christmas spirit. it's beautiful so far. >> both teams said they are thankful for yesterday's opportunity to give back and they look forward to going head-to-head this week. and a hayward family who lost their home found out just how special the christmas spirit can be. and it's making the loss just a little bit easier to we have the heart-warming story. >> reporter: it's pretty obvious which toy is a favorite for the sosa girls this christmas. the scooter comes from this

christmas eve toy drive. a san jose friend entered their names in it. >> it make them smile. make them happy to have something to open up for christmas. >> reporter: seeing this smile is priceless for shaunt'e sosa. gift giving is low on the priority list this year. >> as the smoke cleared, as they say -- >> reporter: the smoke has cleared from a december 1st fire at their hayward home. they lost nearly everything. >> our house burned and on the inside. not too bad. but about enough where we can't go home. >> reporter: an outpouring of love and support followed and it touched her. >> children's schools, they donated clothes, our clothes burned in the fire. my job put up a gofundme and raised some money for us. >> reporter: then shaunt'e's sister-in-law invited the family to her fairfield home for christmas. >> we always stick together and make sure we have love in our life and family. >> reporter: their fire put love into perspective. then a day later the oakland

warehouse fire happened. >> i feel so bad for the families there that actually lost their lives. >> reporter: they may not have a permanent home, but the focus is on what they do have. >> love, family, togetherness, warmth. >> reporter: those things, she says, are far more valuable than any gift. abc 7 news. 6:38 now. hundreds of cats, dogs, even rabbits are looking for new homes. in fact, take a look at what happened when a little girl in the south bay found her perfect match. >> you can take her. her name is shelly. she's yours. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> well, abc 7 news was in san jose for a surprise christmas delivery from the humane society of silicon valley. what a cutie. 2-month-old puppy shelly is with her forever family. most are taking part in the

annual home for the holidays adoption event through january 8th. adoptions are just $15. i know my dog sometimes does not want to go outside so early. and this morning perhaps. but starting out with the 24-hour temperature change. the winds are up in some upper elevations. we have an area of low pressure passing well to the south of us. and so those breezy easterly winds are making it kind of gusty, but we're also looking at pockets of chilly air. here's a look from mt. tam. sunrise and sunset getting just a bit later and later every day. mountain view, good morning. 34. 35 in san jose. it's 36 in gillroy. half-moon bay in the 40s. winds gusting to 40 miles an hour at the coast. and it's a beautiful start here. we'll see plenty of sunshine. going to warm us up today. 29 in santa rosa. and the trend in oakland today.

mid-50s by about 3:00 this afternoon. so with sunshine, numbers coming up maybe 2 degrees today. but as we look at tomorrow, another 2 to 3 degrees. and then on wednesday a freeze or frost advisory. we'll keep you posted. what's going on in traffic, alexis. >> not much. check out the golden gate bridge. we're waiting for a few cars to come down on the southbound side right now. i did have one issue pop up in the last few minutes. trust me, it is very minor. sounds like this is a disabled vehicle on the onramp from solano avenue. so just before you get to 242, i'm not seeing significant delays. sounds like you can still get around that and chp going to move that out of the way shortly. quick check of drive times. 680, dublin to mission boulevard

15. and highway 101 to cupertino also 17 minutes. >> everything is in the green. we won't complain about it. alexis, take a quick break. a tv meteorologist is taking it all over today. his beard, that is. scott sebol works in cleveland and vowed not to shave until the browns won a game. it finally happened saturday. and after 109 days of beard growing, he says he's taking a razor to it. he admits it started as a reason not to shave each day before heading into work. you know, a good excuse. he never thought it would get this far and his beard would get so thick. >> all right. >> it's coming off. well, this cat may be down to just eight lives following a jaw-dropping stunt just to avoid firefighters. the unbelievable ending to this after the break. and believe it or not, it's not too late to reduce your 2016

tax bill. jane king has some money-saving tips in a few minutes. taking a live look right now at 6:41 in the morning with abc 7 news now. not many people crossing the not many people crossing the golden gate bridge

not many people crossing the golden gate bridge we dance on the salsa team together, and it's like a lot of power in what we wear.

when we're practicing if i don't feel good in what i'm wearing i don't look good. t.j.maxx has that variety. i can get a lot for my money. it's like "yay t.j.maxx!" if you're feeling it, just go for it, don't wait. maxx life at t.j.maxx. . 6:44. welcome back. carrie fisher fans are hoping the 60-year-old's health will improve. the suffered a cardiac event on

friday. she's in stable condition. for all her fans and friends, i thank you for your prayers and good wishes, her family said. she fell ill minutes before landing at l.a.x. she was shooting scenes for the series "catastrophe." she was also promoting "rogue one" and her new book. pope francis is getting ready to host a prayer service in st. peter's square this morning. the leader of the catholic church wished peace to those who lost loved ones in terrorism which he said is sowing, quote, fear and death into the hearts of so many. the international community to find a negotiated solution to the syrian war. certainly hungry for a

workforce with a solid education in computing, most area high schools do not offer commuter science. >> voted in 2016 less than 1% of high school students took the ap computer science exam. lyanne melendez tells us why there's such a big gap. >> reporter: jobs in computer science and programming continue to be among the highest growing in the state. yet the future workforce isn't being trained with any urgency. >> 65% in the area had no access. >> reporter: the kapor center keeps track of information technology available to all students. they also found that because there was little access, california high school students who took the ap exam in computer science this year was incredibly low. >> less than 1% of all high school students took the ap computer science exam. and for students from underrepresented backgrounds, it was a lot lower than we would expect. >> reporter: according to the college board today, just over

4800 high schools nationwide offer ap computer science. more schools have ap english literature, even ap psychological a more popular. jeremy is with code hs. training thousands of teachers nationwide. >> most teachers, you know, don't teach computer science. so a lot of times it's a math teacher or science teacher. someone who taught typing or history and they're going to get retrained. >> reporter: code hs partners to train teachers. the district also decided to start engaging students earlier in the spring ten elementary schools will participate in a pilot program in kpur science. >> if we are going to get gender equity around computer science as well as racial equity around it, we have to start younger. >> reporter: the school district's goal is to eventually make computer scientist a regular subject like math or

science. it was certainly a white christmas for people hitting the slopes in tahoe. check out this video from vale resorts. i need to go there more often. ski resorts reporting between 15 to 25 inches of snow over the weekend. some of that looks tempting. >> i am happy to go on a trip with you to vail. >> yeah. >> i'm right there. and lisa, i'm sure you'd love to go too. >> are you kidding? it is minus 3 at the tahoe valli airport right now. we have a couple things going on. live doppler 7 shows the conditions and breezy winds allowing for a brisk start in some areas. and pockets of freezing temperatures around the bay. 7:24 is the official sunrise. mid-40s in san francisco. feels downright balmy compared to our east bay, south bay, and north bay where we have plenty of 30s.

34 in mountain view. good morning, gillroy. half-moon bay winds nearly at 40 miles an hour. 20 to 30 mile-an-hour winds up above a thousand feet in our east bay valley. that is also allowing for the breezy winds and you get to the surface we don't have any wind. that's why the colder denser air making it feel the air temperature in the windchill digits of the mid-20s for santa rosa. 30 in novato. and you are freezing in livermore. we are slightly warmer where the wind is e bloing. overall the clear and dry conditions are translating into a brisk start for you. so we're going to see temperatures today warm into the 50s for most parts. but with the chilly morning and the breezy winds, it's definitely cool out there. let's go through the next couple of days. we've got 50s today. tomorrow, how about upper 50s. so as high pressure builds in, it's going to feel like that on

wednesday. with numbers in the 60s. no chance of rain, though, all week long. so as we look across the state, they've got the winds as well in southern california. and it's a cold start in most mountain locations. 54 in oakland today. 56 in san jose. and the accuweather seven-day forecast will feature the warmer weather after the chilly starts. upper 30s on the peninsula tonight. and we may get a few drops or sprinkles in here new year's eve when the temperatures cool off. a weak weather system passing to the north of us. but overall feeling much like winter. alexis, how many cars out there? i know you're counting them. >> i think we're up to five or six at this point. i got a tweet that said 88 through fairfield, it's open. zooming in on our traffic maps. this is the biggest issue we have going on right now. chp getting reports of some horses walking in the road. that is just south of the brentwood area. gives an idea how light it is out there this morning.

no service for ace rail. we will be on a limited service schedule through january 2nd for bart. check before you go. and muni, systemwide on a sunday schedule today. ladies, back to you. >> you are keeping vigilant anyways and we appreciate it. >> everyone still sleeping this morning. it's nearly new year's eve but you can still lower your 2016 taxes. >> save that money. and today's jane king report talks about how to take advantage of tax breaks this year even though the clock is ticking. >> we're in the final days of 2016 but there are still tax strategies that can help reduce the amount you fork over to uncle sam. one of the most popular ways to reduce your tax bill is through charitable giving. before making a donation, it's a good idea to look up the charity you are considering at the websites of the charity watch dogs. consumer reports says the three big ones are charity watch, charity navigator, and bbb wise giving alliance.

these groups base on how they collect and spend their money, how transparent they are to the public, and how well they're governed. if you're a freelancer, you can wait to send invoices to clients until 2017. that will reduce your 2016 taxable income. and the strategy could be especially beneficial this year as incoming president donald trump ran on a plan to lower and simplify the tax code. december 31st is the last time to contribute to a 529 plan account. any money put into these accounts is a completed gift and is excluded from the tax owner's taxes. as long as the action occurs by december 31st, it will count for your 2016 taxes. i'm jane king. >> good to know. update now on this curious cat that got stuck on top of a palm tree in new zealand on friday. firefighters desperately trying to reach the kitty. but when they got close, look. he leapt for it.

literally hitting the ground and just sprinting away. he did not want to get caught. animal rescuers eventually nabbed him with a net and took him to get checked out. look how handsome he is. looks like a little santa beard. the cat doing just fine now. he's now appropriately named dennis the menace. >> great name. >> yeah. we are back in 90 seconds with the seven things you need to know before you go. >> but first our instagram photo of the day. isn't that beautiful? if you haven't yet, follow if you haven't yet, follow share your

6:55. whether you're just joining us or heading out the door, these are the seven things to know. number one, a shock to the music world. fans around the world mourning the death of george michael. the singer passed away suddenly at the age of 53 on christmas day. number two, it is freezing in the north bay. 29 in santa rosa. 43 at the coast. but winds gusting to 40 miles an hour. sunshine and 50s later on today. and number three, you hear that? that is crickets in the traffic center. all morning. hopefully we keep it that way all day today. wide open through the bay bridge toll plaza. i think we are going to make it through the commute without any of the lights. enjoy the light day. number four. san jose police say it was most

likely alcohol that led to a collision that killed two people including a 14-year-old boy. the accident happened just an hour into christmas day. police say a woman believed to be under the influence drifted across a median and hit another car. number five, raiders qb derek carr will undergo surgery today for his broken leg. he postponed it to spend christmas with his family. he was a possible mvp this season before he was sacked on saturday by the colts. he is done nor the year. number six. amazon is teaming up with goodwill. get a free mailing address sticker at givebackbox.com. the post office will deliver it to the nearest goodwill. number seven. christmas tree pickup begins today. put your tree on the curb and they will be turned into compost. >> too soon. >> just got that thing up. >> thank you for joining us today. today. we'll be

good morning, america. breaking overnight -- winter wallop. a powerful christmas blizzard sweeping across the country. dangerous snow, ice and wind sparking crashes. flipping tractor-trailers on the highways. thousands of holiday travelers grounded, and the storm moving east right now. trump's christmas bombshell. the president-elect announcing he will dissolve his charitable foundation as he attends christmas mass, receiving a standing ovation upon arrival. plus, the new shake-up in the trump administration, the staffer who is backing out of his new job. why he resigned just days after being appointed. post-holiday shopping secrets. where to find the best day after christmas deals.