shopping rush is on under tight security in san francisco. and quiet radar now, but that will change by christmas morning.

reporter: shoppers are back in union square, grabbing last-minute items before christmas, but holiday gifts are not the only things on their minds. anchor: thousands of flights canceled. what you can expect at sfo. holidays happy despite the pandemic. the sights and sounds from downtown san jose. >> the area could see a white christmas. abc 7 news starts right now. announcer: building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. anchor: silent night so far on live doppler 7 radar, but not problem. rain will arrive for christmas. you are watching abc 7 news at 11:00, live on abc seven, hulu live coming in wherever you

stream. wet roads in a tricky travel in the sierra. we are on stormwatch tonight to make sure you get home safely this holiday weekend. it is a white christmas in the sierra. snow is falling right now at zephyr cove on the southeastern edge of lake tahoe. the chp says heavy rain caused a fuel truck to flip on northbound 680 in the fremont this morning as it tried to avoid a car. thousands of gallons of fuel leaked. 100 homes had to be evacuated as a result. the freeway was shut down for hours as the crews cleaned up the mess. now the freeway is open and everyone is back at home on this christmas eve. here is a live look outside at the golden gate bridge. as you can see and would expect on christmas eve, very quiet on the golden gate. things are going to change. let's go to abc 7 news meteorologist frances dinglasan with the forecast. frances: we are getting light

showers come up with a heavy rain is on its way. just to the north, we are getting light showers, then some lightning off the coast of fort bragg. we could see some thunderstorms tomorrow with the system. on the storm impact scale, it is a two out of five, moderate. tomorrow, especially in the morning and early afternoon, we could see some brief downpours, windy conditions, around an inch of rain with a slight chance of thunderstorms, even some small hail. look at the forecast animation. notice during the morning hours, the heavy rain stays in the north bank. the 7:00 hour, still in the north bay. the areas in red is where we could see the heavy downpours, making for difficult driving. by midday, it starts to slide south through the peninsula, hitting the south bay hard in the early afternoon and tapering to showers tomorrow night. the showers continued through the weekend. i will let you know with the rain totals are, how many more wet days we can expect, and when

we can finally get a break. dan: thanks very much. remember, you can keep an eye on the weather anytime you wish. you can find it on the abc seven bay area app. let's move to today's pandemic headlines. the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant is playing a part in thousands of flight delays and cancellations. more on that in just a few minutes. but one week from today, the u.s. will lift its travel ban on eight southern african countries. it has been in a month ever since the omicron variant was discovered. california is closing in on 5 million total cases of coronavirus. the state reported 20,000 new cases just today, one of the highest daily counts we have seen in months. despite the pandemic, many in the south bay tonight were determined to keep the holidays happy. crowds in downtown san jose said they spent last christmas locked down.

this year, their spirits are up and they are getting out. here is amanda del castillo yo. amanda: after having to attend mass virtually last year, churchgoers say there is something very special about friday's in person service at cathedral basilica of st. joseph in downtown san jose. >> this is the highlight tonight, going in and being in church. amanda: bob and terry drove in, originally from the east coast. they said the pandemic kept them grounded. >> we decided to stay put again. >> stay close to home. but it is hard when you are not near your family. amanda: longing to be around people, family or otherwise, seemed to be the big motivation for everyone we spoke with. at san jose's beloved christmas in the park, christmas eve crowds for the first time since 2019. >> it has been a long time sitting at home. during the holidays, we wanted to go outside and see people. >> we definitely wanted to be

with people, spend time with friends and hang out. i think this is happening now. >> we want to see all the christmas trees. people are happy. amanda: the return of the usual sights, sounds, tastes, and traditions, along with masks. many admit they had to make some adjustments, but above all, they are determined to keep the holidays happy. >> it doesn't feel normal yet because usually we get together at my sister's house. we are doing a restaurant this year. amanda: after having to stay separated this year, every moment is carrying greater significance this christmas. >> i am glad we could do this, walk around and enjoy things and go to bars and restaurants and not be locked up from it all. amanda: chris in downtown san j, amanda del castillo. dan: thousands of flights across the country have been delayed or canceled in part because of a

nationwide spike in omicron cases. as stephanie sierra tells us, this is likely to get worse this holiday weekend. stephanie: call it the nightmare before christmas as omicron fears jet into holiday panic. >> i keep seeing all these cancellations and keeping my fingers crossed. stephanie: when is flying to keep -- gwen this going to houston on united, or so she hopes. how many flights have been canceled? >> to my knowledge, 170. stephanie: a holiday hazard, families stranded, airline staff sick, causing a slew of airlines to all cancel hundreds of flights nationwide and here in the bay area. it happened to jack. he is worried he might not make it to seattle. >> we are on a 12:50 flight, but it has trouble, so we are going at 2:18 now. >> we have been checking all

websites, the websites. so we are crossing our fingers. stephanie: do you have a backup plan? >> [laughter] no, we don't. stephanie: omicron makes up 50% to 70% of all new covid cases in california. bay area travelers are in n95 masks, questioning whether the trip is worth the risk. >> i am sure there are people in this terminal who are positive. >> we have been thinking and rethinking this again and again. stephanie: as airline staff are stretched thin, others are keeping the holiday hope alive. >> happy holidays. >> and hope for the best, right? stephanie: at least until take off. how many hours until take off? >> about two and a half. >> but we are still on the board to go. [laughter] stephanie:stephanie: fingers crossed. >> fingers crossed is right. stephanie: united has canceled the most flights across the country and at sfo. if you're traveling over the

holiday weekend, triple check your flight status as a handful of these airlines have already reported hundreds of cancellations for tomorrow, christmas day. in san francisco, stephanie sierra, abc 7 news. dan: if you have questions about covid-19 vaccines, ask our vaccine team. they are there for that reason. headed to abc7news.com/vaccine and click on the big box you see on the screen. with hours to spare, holiday shoppers descended on san francisco's union square this afternoon to pick up last-minute gifts before christmas morning. but as tim johns explains, shopping was not the only thing on their minds. tim: amid the giant trees, wreaths, union square was packed with people, many people hitting shops, picking up last-minute items. >> we had lunch at neiman marcus, and we did some shopping at macy's. last-minute. we forgot a few things.

tim: others had their shopping list already completed and came out only to see the decorations. >> i always come for the last years. tim: she came with her family. >> last year, we were not out . but this year, very lightly. tim: she says she and her daughter waited in line to see santa. >> what did you give to santa? >> a card. >> she wrote a letter to santa and said what she wanted as a christmas present. tim: shopping was not the only thing on people's minds. after smash and grab robberies happened, safety was also a consideration. law enforcement has been a notable presence this holiday season after smash and grab robberies rocked the area several weeks ago. their presence giving many shoppers we talked to a sense of security. >> it is well lit. this is all remodeled, it is beautiful out, lots of people out. it is a nice day.

tim: the other issue top of mind was covid, but despite the threat of omicron, many say it will not ruin their holiday spirit. >> all we have to do is the careful, wear our mask about and wash our hands. dan: still to come, a deadly shark attack on the central coast. what we know about the effort to save the victim and the warning to beachgoers. and if you take a covid test at home, do you have to tell anyone it is positive? we will look at what that will have to mean the reliability of the state's pandemic data. here is a look at what is coming up on jimmy kimmel live. >> thanks, dan. the person at the top of my spotify wrap up is you. >> i am a real doctor. i stop my license. >> why don't you run for senator? >> i have a game show host, i have standards. [laughter]

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dan: oakland police are responding to a shooting. lecture avenue is blocked off as they continue their investigation. the police were out in a san mateo neighborhood this evening. police would not release details but asked people to stay way from claremont street near san mateo high school. part of the street was blocked off with police tape and we spotted officers using flashlights to look into at least one vehicle. we are staying on that as well. a small memorial lines the road where two people died during yesterday's storm. investigators say a 32nd flash flood trapped the victims in their car along hillcrest boulevard near elk no reality -- near el camino real. a public health works employeeme was able to save two people in another car that also got stuck, but sadly two did die.

a surfer was killed by a shark along california's coast and another public is being asked to stay away from the water. it happened off of morro bay. surfer was spotted face down.ow. his injuries were caused by a shark. the last deadly shark attack in the area was in 2003. rare, but scary nonetheless. meteorologist francis ti is here. frances: quite a bit of rain, and it is heading our way. it will arrive in parts of the north bay. here is a look at the doppler. it is a very cold system that brought some lightning off the coast of fort bragg, and it is bringing temperatures down as well over the next few days. right now, we are mostly in the low 50's with a few 40's. santa rosa, cloverdale in the mid to upper 40's, less ghettos

at 43 degrees -- los gatos at 43 degrees. the rain arrives overnight, but then by tomorrow morning notice some heavy rain. the red and orange are the dangerous downpours we could see that could cause localized flooding. notice that showers will precede this frontal boundary, but this frontal boundary will slide through the bay area. by late morning, it will hit the east bay, the peninsula. this is what to look out for if you are driving during that time. it will be dangerous and windy. by early afternoon, the frontal boundary moves inland and to the south bay before it tapers off to showers in sunday -- on sunday. another wave pushes through. rainfall amounts generally tomorrow will be from half an inch to an inch, then possibly another half an inch on sunday. here are some estimates, and the thing to take away is not the exact number, but notice how

different the amounts could be. for example, san ramon could have 1.5 inches, and they are right nearby. it gives you a range. in addition to the rain, we are getting attentive snow in the sea -- we are getting a ton of snow in the sierra. if you have to go to and from tahoe, if you could wait until tuesday at 10:00 a.m., that is been the winter storm warning expires. be prepared if you get caught in the storm. the lows will be in the upper 40's, and we will see the rain start to move in. notice the highs tomorrow, not too much change. we see the low 50's for the most part, and even the upper 40's through parts of the north bay. not a big temperature change tomorrow. here is the accuweather 7 the forecast. moderate storm for tomorrow, most of it during the morning and early afternoon. sunday, we have the showers to

rain, then tuesday another wintry storm. get ready for some very cold days in the morning on tuesday. we will be 10 to 15 degrees below normal, in the 40's and instead of the 50's. dan: with the upcoming holiday, many are relying on at home covid-19 tests. but here is a good question -- who is tracking the number of positive cases? melanie woodrow explains what you need to know. melanie: this man was p man w to go to toronto, but omicron changed his mind. >> we were just concerned that it would not be a good idea. melanie: he is vaccinated and boosted, but has been regularly testing covid at home >> i have three. melanie: he is not alone. and an infectious disease specialist said at home tests are reliable. >> at home testing is really the way of the future. melanie: but as more and more people rely on them, it could skew california's positivity rate.

>> it is like seeing the tree fall in the forest and nobody knows but you. melanie: number of california's positive case rate translates to critical covid related decisions. >> we make a lot of our recommendations based upon how many cases are out there. knowing how many cases are occurring gives us early warnings for what is going to be happening with our hospitals in a couple weeks and what will be happening in people's lives in a month. melanie: they recomelani contacting three groups of people if you test positive -- your employer, your school or child's school, and your primary care provider. >> with these three groups of people, you will be set. melanie: for his part, he says if you were to get a positive test he would probably take a pcr tests next for confirmation, which would be reported. au consideration for anyone testing at home as california continues to fight the spread of covid-19.

in san francisco, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. dan: it took a little work, but santa's reindeer get the all clear from gavin newsom. >> after a long day of negotiation, finally, finally the state approved the nine reindeer permits. this is great news. that clears the decks of any concerns or issues. christmas is a go. dan: we are tracking santa as he delivers gifts around the world. this is the 66th year in a row that norad has been tracking santa. he just left phoenix a few minutes ago, now is over new mexico. you can find a link to this on our website, abc7news.com. key will be in santa fe very soon. coming up, spreading christmas joy on the peninsula. see what community did to surprise an eight-year-o

dan: wouldn't this be nice under the christmas tree? tomorrow's jackpot is up to $400 million with a cash value of $292 million. no one has hit the jackpot since october. an eight-year-old boy from the peninsula got a special visit from santa at his house today.

>> merry christmas! dan: that is alexand alexand ald lured to his driveway for a big surprise party. alexander is battling stage iii cancer, so some good elves from the police departments dressed up as santa, rudolph, and frosty to bring some cheer. and they brought plenty of gifts, too. >> it is intense going through chemo thetherapy all the things cancer patients, need to go through. if we do everything we can to bring happiness as often as we can, that is what it is all about. dan: the party continued for a while in his front yard. some neighbors joined in. the gifts were bought with donations from alexander's family and friends. alexander, merry christmas and all of our best. we are on the eve of a big day of holiday hoops. chris alvarez has more in sports. chris: coming up in sports, the

warriors prepping for a christmas showdown in phoenix. in christmas with the currys. how their foundation i didn't have to shout out for help. because you didn't have another dvt. not today.

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>> abc 7 sports sponsored by river rock casino. chris: for 49ers fans quick to blame a loss to the titans on jimmy garoppolo, he does not play defense or special teams. he threw two. this red -- two interceptions thursday night. you missed a big throw to a wide-open player. jimmy led the niners on a game-tying drive before tennessee kicked a field goal to

win with four seconds to go. afterwards, everyone sharing blame in the laws. >> cannot get off the field on third down. they have two turnovers and we have zero. >> our best players did not play their best game. as an offense, we need to not make mistakes. >> what ended up losing us the game was that their downs and the takeaways. we lost in both of those areas. >> it does not change for me. i wish we would have won it. >> we have to get ready and move onto the next one. chris: the warriors are against phoenix tomorrow. andrew wiggins, jordan poole, damion lee, moses moody out due to covid protocols. it is the ninth straight christmas the warriors will be playing in the second straight on the road. they don't mind playing on the holiday because it means it is a mark he match up but steve kerr would like to be home for the holidays. >> i do think there should be a role in the nba that you cannot

be on the road two years in a row. just making that clear. i am confident that next year we will be at home for christmas or we will all protest and not show up. >> so now i missed my daughter's first christmas and i will miss m her second. we are human beings. >> i have two kids and how special a day it is, you are trying to balance being present with them. i think we have played nine straight years on christmas. that means you're doing something good, so you have to take the good with the bad. chris: this is all good and no bad. steph and aisha curry's foundation wrapped up a successful event that began on december 13 and wrapped up on christmas eve for the oakland community. the foundation focused on surprising children, families, and organizations across the bay with donations and experiences, gifts courtesy of the each, learn, play foundation.

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dan: we are tracking santa as he delivered gifts -- delivers gifts around the world. this is the 66th year in a row that norad has been tracking santa. you can find a link to this on the website, abc7news.com. the abc 7 yule log is back. get cozy by streaming it through abc7news.com or our abc 7 bay area connected tv out. that is always fun in the morning. watch our newscasts live through the abc 7 bay area connected tv app available for apple tv, amazon fire tv and ragu.

download it now and start streaming. that is our report. i am dan ashley. we appreciate your time. >> dicky: from hollywood, it's "jimmy kimmel live!" tonight, ken jeong, and maya erskine and anna konkle. and now, jimmy kimmel! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> jimmy: thank you. hi, everyone. welcome. how are you doing? thank you very much. i'm immy, i'm the host of the show. thank you for coming. thank you for watching. [ cheers and applause ] that's very nice, i appreciate it.

i'm curious to know, how many of