down across the bay area. here is a look at four of our tower camera's and this is a level two on our exclusive storm impact scale. >> encouraging news in the fight against covid. the trend we are seeing, plus that pressure on tests as many of you are getting ready to get together with friends and family. >> even with the covid surge, it is getaway day for millions of people traveling for christmas. we are live at sfo, checking out the rush. you are watching abc seven mornings, live wherever you stream. hi, we are separated again because omicron is pulling us apart.

storm, mike. mike: all right. trying to put a smile on your face other than doing what i just did because there is no other way to look at this. you will have to bear down and grain through this. it is coming down hard outside and this is new video from overnight showing the rain coming down in the south bay. this was taken around 3:00 this morning near north santa cruz avenue and highway nine. you can see a very steady stream hitting the pavement. here you go, 86, all getting downpours right now and that continues all the way through san francisco, up and down the peninsula and there are just puddles everywhere. this is going to last the entire morning commute as we sync southward through 10:00 and then

we will downgrade this to a one. let's get over to sue and figure out how it is out there. sue: this was eastbound 24 in the lafayette area. it went off the freeway and down onto pleasant hill road and you can see it down there at the freeway and all lanes of pleasant hill road, both directions are shut down due to this big rig crash and yes it is wet out there. it is going to be a real rips in order of a commute and right now -- rip snorter of a commute. all lanes temporarily blocked with a crash in west oakland 580 at grand avenue. standing water but a better option than 580. we will be covering this all morning long. kumasi: our storm watch

continues in the sierra, where heavy rain and multiple feet of snow are expected through sunday. here is what it looked like on highway 50 at myers. rain and very slick roads. mountain travel is highly discouraged during the storm. better road conditions are excited next week. reggie: storms in the bay area are making a measurable difference when it comes to the drought. water officials recorded a total of more than 11 inches of rainfall this december. here is what it looked like at stafford lake over the summer, levels critically low. this is what it looks like now. water levels are substantially higher. you can also see a big difference in the reservoir. >> is very welcome from where we were before the october rains to where we are now. it is a dramatic difference. reggie: reservoirs are at 77% of total storage supply. board members architected to

meet next month to reevaluate water restrictions. you can keep an eye on the weather any time by finding it in our abc 7 bay area app. kumasi: we know a lot of you are planning to travel today for the holidays and you are not alone. today is expected to be one of the busiest travel days in nearly two years despite the omicron variant. amy hollyfield joins us live at sfo with more on this. amy: -- because of the omicron but travel is alive and well. a lot of people here this morning, a lot of people heading off to see family or loved ones for the holiday. united airlines gave us a snapshot of how things look. they were telling us their numbers for this holiday season are the highest they have seen during the pandemic. they thought they would see a drop in bookings because of the new variant, but they say they did not see that happen.

for those of you heading to l.a., we also checked in and it is busy down there as well. >> it is very busy because a lot of people want to travel out of state to see their family. it is very packed tonight. amy: health officials say if you are traveling, they recommend you take some covid precautions. get tested, wear a high-quality mask and make sure you are vaccinated and boosted. california health officials recommend visitors here be tested within three to five days after arriving. reggie: thank you. this morning, there is some encouraging developments with the omicron variant. south africa, the country to first identify the variant may already be past its peak. here in the u.s., we are seeing some hospitals reaching capacity. here is andrew timber. andrew: this morning, the number

of infections is still surging, including among the vaccinated. doctors are assuring americans that the vaccine and booster shots protect against serious illness and death in new hope that the latest wave of coronavirus cases in the u.s. could dramatically fall once it peaks. new data shows south africa are now rapidly dropping. >> this is great news, to hear to the cases have peaked in south africa, which means that there is less death and hospitalizations. andrew: the fda authorized the first ever covid treatment pill. initial supplies of the pfizer pill will be limited. it could be available in some hospitals as soon as next week. >> we will immediately provide them to states and districts for distribution. andrew: with the holiday travel rush in full swing, a new study shows omicron may double your chances of getting covid on a plane. the biden demonstration has required foreign visitors flying

to the u.s. be vaccinated, but there is no vaccine mandate for domestic air travel. >> it has been considered but the recommendation i have gotten is it is not necessary. >> even with omicron? >> even with omicron. andrew: the biden demonstration is working on making 500 million at home covid test available for free next month while acknowledging there is a shortage right now. >> empty shelves and no test kits in some places, three days before christmas when it is so important. is that good enough? >> nothing has been good enough. andrew: in the meantime, dr. anthony faucher is advising against holiday gatherings with unvaccinated family members or guests. >> if there is unvaccinated person, i would say i'm very sorry but not this time. andrew: omicron continues impacting the world of sports. texas a&m has pulled out of the gator bowl. reggie: governor newsom has revealed a new plan to keep your

kids in classrooms safe after the holidays. he says 6 million rapid tests will be sent to schools across the state free of charge. that allow students to test one or two times before returning in january. >> we want to make sure they come back in as good as shape as they left. we want to make sure that they -- that we are testing our kids and preparing them to come back to in person instruction. >> this is a horrible pandemic that we are still in the middle of, but safety measures work. reggie: the governor says keeping schools open for in person learning is a top priority. kumasi: there is new help from google when it comes to finding a covid test site. the search engine added a feature. google search will also help track down vaccination sites. just search covid test sites or covid vaccines near me. if you want to stay up-to-date on the latest covid headlines, we have all of them on our website, abc7news.com/

coronavirus. reggie: so far, the jury has deliberated 14 hours. holmes faces 11 counts of fraud in connection with her blood testing company. we can likely expect a verdict before christmas. mike: let's take a look at what is going on with that forecast. we talked about thunderstorms and the trump addiction center has broadened the area that they believe we can experience lightning and hail today. it is all of us. you can see. it goes up into the sierra, which means thunder snow is possible and that is why you should not travel through the sierra this morning but then after that, absolutely a no go. morning rush-hour, this is when we receive our heaviest rain and

we will continue to deal with standing water and breezy conditions. the evening rush, you will still be damp as we will have scattered showers roaming our skies. you can see future radar as we head into the 6:00 hour, the red is some of the heavier downpours. also the most likely area we could have some lightning. this is a pretty warm system so we are not getting any snow out of it as it bumps into the higher elevations but by 10:00, it is well to our south and it continues heading to the south with a bit of a break seeking it out at lunchtime. this is a scattering of showers as we head for the evening hours and those will increase a little bit overnight but definitely not a repeat of right now. we will take a look at the future radar coming up but first i want to show you how much rain we will have by 10:30. this is a two outside the north bay where you will receive the least amount of rain over the next couple of hours. part of the south bay could

receive up to an inch in the higher elevations. it is tricky outside right now, so let's get over to sue. sue: warm conditions, and that does not bode well for a lot of rain coming down. i was surprised when i got in my car. i was expect and 40's but it was in the 50's and very wet. looking at walnut creek, 680 with the taillights heading southbound. right now, there is an accident either northbound or southbound and i am seeing some brake lights at the turn as you head toward the 24 interchange. give yourself a little extra time. raining at the san mateo bridge, wet travels over towards 101. looking at an 18 minute drive. we still have this situation in the daly city area, northbound 280 near westborough, three lanes blocked, now two lanes are blocked.

they are calling it a single alert. you can see the sensors are pretty slow, all the way up to 80 northbound and southbound -- 280 northbound and southbound. reggie: easing travel stress at the airport. the adorable therapy option. kumasi: a property plan dividing a community. why opponents say it will make the problem worse. reggie: a live look outside. reggie: a live look outside. before that drink turns to drinks, make a plan to get home safe. just call a friend, a cab, and get a rideshare. whatever you do, don't let drunk drive. go safely, california. hey, angie! you forgot your phone! hey lou! angie forget her phone again? yep. lou! mom said she could save up to $400 on her wireless bill by switching to xfinity internet and mobile. with nationwide 5g at no extra cost. and lou! on the most reliable network, lou!

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hair, done. fit, fantastic! marijuana. not so fast. remember, marijuana and some meds don't mix. a sober driver can cure that. don't let high drive. go safely, california. kumasi: leaders of a san jose synagogue are helping raise money to rebuild after the building caught fire. someone lit a fire in the carport area yesterday that ended up spreading to the whole building. investigators are looking into if it was intentionally set. a gofundme page was set up and so far they have raised about $24,000. reggie: east palo alto leaders are confronting the controversial housing policy,

aimed at giving tenants -- critics say the plan is an attack on private property rights. >> housing has long been a hot button issue across the bay area and beyond. in east palo alto, councilmembers weighed in on the controversial opportunity to purchase act. city documents show the policy would require property owners give renters hsi nonprofito purcse a multifamily property before they hit the market. the city says nearly a third of all housing units are owned by absentee landlords. the intent is to protect the community from outside investors. >> it is only just to offer, offer, not at a lower price, but to offer that home to a tenant before that house goes on, specifically to the open market. >> while councilman carlos romero views it as a tool to create more affordable housing,

others argue it is a takeover. in recent months, council heard an estimate at 12 hours of public comment on policy and on sunday. opponents with the business and housing network organized this rally outside city hall. a san mateo resident who identifies as a tenants rights activist for people living in epa. >> housing providers willing to provide housing in east palo alto -- there is a -- >> councilman romero pushed back on such claims pointing out six to 1% of people who signed a petition in opposition were not epa residents. instead he said the ordinance would be one of more than a dozen laws already implement it that aim to create stability, reduce displacement and protect its residents from outside investors. but critics maintain the bureaucracy involved with opa's would be devastating and even

delay transactions, driving away potential buyers. on wednesday there was no vote scheduled during the study session. the city will revisit the issue in the new year. kumasi: san jose jose's mayor celebrated resilience volunteers at the second harvest food bank. the mayor rolled up his sleeves to help package some of the food that will be handed out to local families. second harvest serves 450,000 people every month. volunteers do most of that work. they box up 1600 boxes of food every day. >> we are calling for others to follow the inspiring example of our young people, to help volunteer for food distribution. they can certainly use your time right here at second harvest. kumasi: the food bank says it needs resilience workers more than ever, especially during the holiday season. reggie: traveling during the holidays is very stressful for so many of us, but some

travelers are less anxious because of what you see here. this is something reno tahoe international airport, the volunteer organization brings dogs to the terminal to soothe the stress of travelers. the dogs are certified therapy dogs and their owners will tell you they seemed to sense who needs it the most. >> they just bring more love and joy to all the people. they see a child that is crying or having a fit. we will try to go over and she will just sit there with that kid and calm them down. the parents are always saying thank you. reggie: paws for passe passe founded in 2013 and currently has 30 therapy dogs. kumasi: what i like to do sometimes is try and pet those dogs that are searching for drugs and the people say please back up and get away from this dog. reggie: that dog is working. kumasi: butreie: r ce.

lots of times they are beagles. mike: i know you have a soft spot. reggie: i love beagles. but they are trying to get out and throw some people in the clink. kumasi: they are trying to work. mike: they are for your safety in a different way. let's talk about us being here u for you this morning. we've got some wet weather. of course the rain has taken a lot of the moisture away from the south bay outside of either side in the higher elevations. let's take a look at what is going on his forehead sure for -- look at what is going on as far as your forecast. temperatures very bile when you step outside -- very mild when you step outside. we will taper from a two down to

a one. the best chance for downpours is this morning, but there is still a slight chance of thunderstorms with some lightning and hasn't -- and some locally heavy rain through the rest of theom sunnyg can see in los altos, some heavy rain with the heaviest rain from fairfield all the way down to san mateo, hayward and over toward san ramon. rainfall rates have been very impressive. it's a good thing these are moving. here is a look at t for thunderstorms. it is small tomorrow but then increases on christmas day. we will go through tomorrow morning and it is going to be the southern half of the bay area that has the best chance of dealing with light to moderate showers through 7:00 and this is the least amount of coverage of showers the next several days.

there is stills stills stills st showers and you can see that heavier rain coming in christmas morning, but if it's -- but it is also called her up in the mountains with the possibility of snow later in the afternoon. my accuweather 7 day forecast, you can see how much colder temperatures are. more mountain snow is possible next week. kumasi: coming up, the seven things to know this morning. reggie: another warrior added to the nba covid protocol. the extra precautions with christmas right around the corner. kumasi: those last-minute

mike: if you are just joining us -- reggie: if you are just joining us, seven things to know. number one is how dangerous the weather is becoming as downpours are in the heart of the bay area, and the heart of your morning commute. there will be slippery conditions and the possibility of thunderstorms over the next several hours. kumasi: we are following your very wet thursday morning commute with a single alert on

the peninsula. we can see all those taillights southbound. chp has run several traffic breaks with flooding in lanes. kumasi: number three, you have missed the window to safely get to lake tahoe. mountain travel is highly discouraged through sunday. reggie: a live look at sfo where the holiday travel rush is on. today is excited to be the busiest day in america since the beginning of the pandemic. kumasi: governor newsom revealed a new effort to combat covid in california. it includes booster shot -- requiring booster shots for health-care workers and a plan to get millions of additional tests so kids can get tested before returning to school. reggie: a fire overnight at this exxon mobil refinery in texas. at least four people were hurt. the cause of the fire is under investigation. kumasi: number seven, do we need this? a japanese professor has invented a tv that you can taste. reggie: no, no. kumasi: do we need this?

reggie: i don't need anything about this. kumasi: it sprays the flavor of whatever you are seeing on a film that goes across the screen and you can lick that flavor off. he says he hopes this could enhance the way that people interact during the pandemic. reggie: not in 202180 o o in 2021 ad or 2022 ad either. damion lee is joining andrew wiggins in jordan poole on the nba covid protocol list which totals 90 players. the warriors roster is fully vaccinated and every player eligibleor booster shot has received one, so they are following the protocols closely. this covid news is especially tough for lee. with christmas in just a couple days, the players are taking extra precautions. >> christmas is coming up and my

family is talking about what are we going to do? i can't really do that. it sucks. basketball far outweighs everything else because i want to be out there competing and i want to help my team. everything that we do is with covid in mind right now. reggie: the warriors take on the memphis grizzlies at home tonight with tip-off at 7:00. kumasi: in today's gma first look, if you are a last-minute shopper, there are still some online deals. andrew: in this morning first look, last-minute shopping strategies. just two days left to go, there are still deals you can snag it even leaving your couch. >> i think this year, people will be extra understanding at not getting physical gifts this year because of supply chain and

shipping issues. andrew: if you are looking for some thing that can still make it in time, if you act by the summer 24th, you can still take a chance on same-day delivery or in-store pickup. >> with curbside pickup, that is a great option, if you will don't want -- if you don't want to pay those extra fees for delivery but you still want to get your things the same day. andrew: we will have much more on the deals you can snag with just two shopping days left. reggie: i'm still thinking about the woman licking that tv. kumasi: i don't want to think about that. reggie: there are some things that just get burned into your mind. coming up, raking records nearly 30 years after its release. mariah carey's compliment with her christmas classic. kumasi: the state schools that will soon require booster shots for students. reggie: also the holiday party dilemma.

>> building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. reggie: the holiday travelvelvel is on. one of the busiest days at sfo as people fly all over to meet family and friends for christmas. kumasi: governor newsom's plan to fight covid in california. the three key parts of this new strategy. reggie: mike is tracking the wet weather. kumasi: good morning everybody. abc 7 mornings alive right now wherever you stream. reggie: we will start with mike, and it starts to feel like groundhog day. mike: it does but we are turning it up a notch. you can see we just had the downpour move across our studios and right outside. look at all of that standing water. we are transitioning to lighter showers as heavier showers are now moving south of pacifica,

heading down towards 92 if you are heading there, or skyline boulevard or even 280. traveling at those higher elevations with that heavier shower, and all of this is tracking to the northeast. each individual cell as the entire system sinks to the south. we are at least a two until 10:00 thanks to these localized downpours running as flooding and slippery conditions and the threat of some dangerous lightning. here is a look at 880 and you can see the spray coming up from cars as we are driving, a lot of us just on standing water. breezy conditions through the morning. be especially careful on the bridges. we drop to one as the intensity lets up and so does the coverage after 10:00. it is groundhog day and i have rain in seven days of the forecast. sue: today is a busy travel day on the roads and at the airport and we are looking at about 30

incidents right now on the roads with a lot of standing water. we are going back to walnut creek. a lot of chp activity and you can see the flashing lights. there are several incidents along with standing water. brake lights are catching you from concorde toward south 680 and that accident is near the 24 interchange, but watched several chp traffic breaks and give yourself plenty of time. no metering lights. mike has been talking about the rain and standing water. if you are heading to tahoe, we don't have any chain requirements at this hour. reggie: if you are flying somewhere today, get that good mask on. the chance of an empty seat next to you is slim to none. nationwide, it is expected to be the busiest day our airports. amy hollyfield is live at sfo this morning. amy: they are expecting this to be one of the busiest days this

holiday season at sfo. we are definitely seeing a lot of people. some passengers told us they were surprised to see so many people here. the airlines were surprised too. united airlines said they expected many flights to be canceled because of the omicron variant. travelers today tell us they are willing to take the risk. >> i was a little nervous but i got my booster recently, and i really want to see my family this christmas. amy: we have heard that a lot. a lot of people are coming through today but it still is not pre-pandemic numbers. sfo was expecting 53,000 people today and in 2019 they had 84,000. reggie: if you plan to travel internationally next year, renew your passport now. the fee is going up by $20 starting monday.

the price hike is necessary according to the u.s. department -- u.s. state department to produce one of the boat, most secure travel identity documents in the world. for a full list of destinations currently open to u.s. travelers, you can go to this website. if you are driving somewhere for christmas, you are one of 100 million americans setting out on a road trip. northbound interstate 80 from 580 to sao paulo, the same section was packed for thanksgiving. peak congestion expected tonight from 5:30 to 7:30. aaa projects that area will have 106 26% more traffic than normal. -- 1066% more traffic than normal. kumasi: in oakland, governor newsom announced boosters will be mandatory for health-care workers in california. >> i thick it is the wise move in this context, that we need to

make sure we don't have the staffing shortages. kumasi: in addition to boosters, governor newsom is making testing a top priority. >> we are ordering 6 million tests. no charge. we are going to be sending those out to our partners all up and down the state, to allow more priority access for at least one to two tests, before our kids come back to school. kumasi: the governor said keeping schools open is a top priority. he also encouraged all californians to get tested after the holidays. allstate run testing centers are expanding hours. reggie: the california school system will require all students, faculty and staff to get boosted. >> while on winter recess, we think it is good for our students, faculty and staff to get the booster for maximum protection. reggie: they face a february 20 deadline to get a booster or six

months after their last original dose of the vaccine. this policy covers nearly half a million students at all 23 csu campuses. the surging omicron variant is causing a surge in at-home test person -- at-home test purchases. amazon, walmart and other pharmacies are limiting the number of tests you can buy. kumasi: president biden is addressing this apply issues with covid tests. he sat down with world news tonight to talk about the pandemic and what is being done. >> if you go to the pharmacy, we hear this over and over, empty shelves, no test kits. is that a failure? >> i don't think it is a failure. you could argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago. i've ordered half a billion of the pills, 500 million pills --

excuse me, 500 million test kits that are going to be available to be sent to every home in america if anybody wants them, but the answer is yes, i wish i had thought about ordering half a billion before covid hit here. kumasi: much more of that exclusive interview with the president coming up at 7:00 on gma. the fda has authorized the first pill to treat covid-19 at home. studies show this pill reduces the risk of hospitalizations and death by nearly 90% if given within the first five days of symptoms. pfizer says it is ready to start delivering the pill immediately. reggie: dr. fauci is offering advice for holiday parties. he says attending large gatherings is not considered safe for vaccinated people because you may not know the status of the person next to you. tim johns talked with some local venues to see how this is impacting them.

tim: after lockdowns canceled them in 2020, holiday parties have made a comeback this december. >> very busy. we've had a couple buyouts, about five parties per week. tim: it's a trend being seen industrywide but one that has lost some steam over the past few weeks. the ceo of a bay events company says the new omicron variant is already impacting business. >> i would say about 25% of our orders have been canceled this week. tim: besides canceling altogether, her company has also seen a lot of parties modify their plans. >> we've also seen a lot of orders for tents. i think people are switching their holiday parties to their backyards. tim: making the reservation is only one part of the process. christopher rivera works at -- he says his restaurant has hosted several holiday parties were only a fraction of those meant to come actually showed

up. >> we had a lot of events where -- let's say it was a party of 20 coming in and then six would show up because five of them got covid and the rest were exposed. tim: with the uncertainty surrounding the new variant looking over the industry again, rivera says he is thankful the holiday parties they have had have been a success. >> with omicron, things might slow down again. thank god we were this busy for almost of december because i don't know what january is going to be like. tim: a lot of people are pushing holiday parties january and even february. the hope is omicron might be less of a worry then. kumasi: if you have any questions about covid-19 vaccines, you can ask our vaccine team. go to abc7news.com/vaccine. an update on the investigation into the death of former police officer kevin nishida.

the arrest in the case and what could come next. reggie: also this morning, mariah's christmas classic setting a record nearly 30 years after it was released. first we are checking in with mike. mike: let's check in with what i expect my strong concerns are, especially today and deeper into the week. extreme urban flooding, we are already seeing it right now and the downpours are still coming. do i expect any flooding? not really. same thing with debris flow and mudslides. we have not quite triggered it. trees and power lines, still not -- a thunderstorm, so remember your 3030 rule, stay inside 30 minutes after seeing that last bolt of lightning or hearing

that last clap of thunder. look at this, even reds as the cold front is now moving through the strongest part of the storm, right along 80 all the way down to half moon bay. by 10:00, most of it is out of here and we will have a few pockets like rio vista and up on the hills and mountains on either side of the south bay. you can see a transition through lunch. it will be damp outside with scattered showers, but not a downpour or steady rain. how much more rain can we get? starting at six: 30, you can see a quarter of an inch in richmond to nearly three quarters of an inch as you head toward places like livermore,ndn inch up in the santa cruz mountains. all of this is translating to snow. today, orange, maybe. tomorrow, read definitely. -- red definitely. sue: we just got the issue from

chp that chain controls are required now on all the major sierra freeways, 8050 and also 89. give yourself lots of time. they are getting lots of snow. it is going to be a white christmas in the tahoe area. closer to home, a lot of activity on 680 and walnut creek. there was an accident southbound and you can see taillights crawling along. that's about an eight minute drive to walnut creek then you are stopped bumper-to-bumper towards highway where there is an accident. the wetness on the camera. -- light out of the central valley, highway four is looking good out of concord westbound and a little slow due to the rain

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reggie: oakland police have two people in custody, believed to benvolved in the killing of former police officer kevin nishida. police are closing in on a third suspect. one of those detained is reportedly the owner of the white acura police say was involved in the shooting. police are not naming the suspects until they are charged in the case. nishida was killed while guarding a tv news crew and what was -- in what appeared to be a robbery. >> hall -- other well, but the homicide charge is forthcoming. reggie: the police chief credited the community for sharing information that led to the arrest. there is a $38,000 reward in

that case. with 25 new police officers just sworn in. several of them have oakland roots. >> i grew up in oakland. i love oakland, i love the culture and diversity. to be able to serve such a diverse place is actually something that i would love to do. reggie: the police chief says these grads will increase their staffing to 694 police officers. he says he hopes this will make a difference in curbing crime. kumasi: some big news if you have federal student loans. you don't have to make payments until may 1. payments were set to start back up at the end of january but president biden extended the moratorium by 90 days. president biden has resisted calls to white out $50,000 in student loan debt outright through exec at of action. reggie: we've been getting you

prepared all week about some big changes. mike nicco is moving to a new shift, forecasting for our midday and 4:00 p.m. news. kumasi: his last day getting up early as tomorrow and starting in january, abc 7 news -- is taking over in the morning. they couldn't be here this week but they did have a message for all of us. >> hey guys. i'm sorry i couldn't be with you this morning. i'm still soaking in the final few mornings were i can sleep in. mike, you are like my older brother. i am ecstatic for you that you can finally after more than a decade, no longer have to set an alarm. you will get to sleep in and we will still get to see your fabulous forecast later in the day. reggie, kumasi, not be more related to be a part of the morning show -- more elated to be a part of the

morning show. take care and we will see you very soon. reggie: reporting live from his closet. [laughter] kumasi: did he get a proper warning about his sleep life and what was about to happen? mike: can you give him a proper warning? reggie: we all know there is no warning that will help. mike: i used to look that young. reggie: first of all, hold holdd as we have discussed, and as video evidence has shown, mike nicco looks better today than he did when he started this shift. that is an impossible task. i don't know what kind of sorcery, wizardry, science. i don't know what is going on but please pass it to us. mike: the devil went down to georgia. reggie: he sure did. mike: it takes a lot of discipline.

when you are on this shift, you have to be very disciplined. i think drew is going to be an amazing addition to this show. i know all of your going to get along very well. he's going to bring a different perspective than i bring, let's say personality and pop-culture wise and still have some brilliant forecasting. i know he and his future husband will be very happy. we will see him soon. let's talk about what is going on. kgo roof camera right here in the morning. we are looking at some heavy rain, the most intense rain is falling right now and it will te. unsettled weather through at least next wednesday and we transition. it is warm outside and we transition to more winter storms starting christmas day and that is when we are going to forecast the likelihood of some snow on

our mountains because you will not be able to get to the sierra anyway. here's a look at today's temperatures. already in the mid-50's. mid to upper 50's. definitely cooler tomorrow morning. most of us back into the 40's but look at another app -- another uptick in the intensity over the overnight hours but this one won't be as strong as this morning. i'm going to keep it a one on the storm impact scale. there will still be slippery conditions tomorrow. look at all of the yellow, solid yellow, orange and red in san francisco and also over the airport. that is where the rain is coming down heaviest and it is most dangerous to be driving. in the south bay, you have a pretty quiet commute. that's about to change. the best chance for thunderstorms tomorrow and then with that colder system coming in, christmas day, we all have a chance of thunderstorms with more hail possible.

you can see overnight for tomorrow morning, and then our quietest day will be friday with scattered showers and watch the heaviest rain come in as we head through christmas morning, and that opens the door. you can see snow up in the north bay mountains and during the evening, some snow in the south bay mountains, and that will be the case sunday, monday, tuesday and wednesday. reggie: mariah carey's christmas classic has set another new record. ♪ chart for the third year in a row. the song was first released in 1994 and it hit number one for the first time in more than 20 years, in between 19. her christmas song is the first to be number one three separate times, breaking a tie with the

1960 dance hit, the twist. a famous story from that whole song is that she supposedly wrote it in 15 minutes. kumasi: really? reggie: and i guess she was only 24 when that happened. kumasi: i just need to know the back story. where was she? reggie: i'm going to look into this just for my memory. i remember she had that whole thing when she was married to that man but he was like, you need to do a christmas album and she said no, not me, it is too early in my career. he pushed her. she was like here, fine, millions. if someone says make a christmas album, the lesson is make one. the most visited website in 2021, even more popular than google. kumasi: a new recycling program

in san francisco.

reggie: francisco announced a new mobile recycling program for residents to redeem money for cans, plastic and glass bottles. it is called the san francisco bottle bank pilot program. nearly two years later, the program is going to be available to residents on january 5. how does this work? grab specialized bags with a barcode at participating grocery stores, filled the back and drop it off at a mobile collection site. >> we are making it easier so that they don't have to take all of their bottles and cans to the one location in the city. reggie: you can download the bottle bank app and register for a free account. the money will go into your

account once the cans and bottles are sorted and it'll -- at a local recycling center. kumasi: a holiday giveaway that brought some people to tears is to -- is continuing in the east bay today. >> thank you so much. kumasi: along with food and toys, there was also an envelope with a $100 bill tucked into each bundle. organizers of the davis street holiday basketball program say it is all thanks to an anonymous donor. they are hoping to help about 1000 families. coming up at 6:00, we are staying on top of the wet weather this morning. reggie: also a surprise christmas visitor in canada but not exactly a welcome present at your front door. kumasi: google helping use -- find those sought after covid testing kits. reggie: a big rig wipes out on a major freeway. sue is

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at&t fiber delivers faster upload speeds for more reliable video calls. get at&t fiber, plans starting at $35 a month for a year. limited availability in select areas. call 1.877.only.att. >> building a better bay area. this is abc 7 news. kumasi: making his right now at 6:00, new hope against omicron. one top dr. talking about what this all means. >> i know the state of california needs it. >> from where we were before the october wave, it is a dramatic distance. reggie: the bay area storms

filling our local reservoirs. kumasi: and we want to take you live outside around the bay area , and to our exclusive storm impact. when this is going to ease up. reggie: good morning to you. you are watching abc seven mornings, wherever you stream. we are going to start with the weather. mike: i like your thinking. maybe not so nice a commute this morning because of the rain. here is video from overnight, showing the rain coming down in the south bay. this was taken near north santa cruz at highway nine. you can see a very steady stream hitting pavement. a little more than an inch of rain. one of the higher amounts in the south bay. here is one of the letter amounts, about 0.2 inches.