had loosened mask mandates are putting them back in place. berkeley, marin county, sonoma county, and san francisco county announced today that universal masking exemptions are being suspended tomorrow morning. contra costa county announced a change yesterday and it is already in effect. the other counties had a strict indoor masking mandates. melanie woodrow reports from marin county. >> the city of berkeley along with alameda, san francisco, and marin county announcing today the return of masks to indoor settings. >> it is prudent for us to take this measure of safety where we know we can protect people against infection. >> an exemption in several counties previously allowed people to take off masks if they revaccinated with counties rescinding that, masks will now be required in public spaces including gyms and fitness studios. >> at this point, ridiculous. it has been two years on and off.

>> adumbrates the change will keep people from signing up for gym memberships january 1, a time when the fitness industry typically thrives. >> we need that strong after two years of being as infected as we have been. masks are good, but what minimizes the risk is maintaining good health. >> a public health officer understands the frustration but says the change is necessary due to the rising case numbers. >> our hope was that the omicron surge may plateau quickly and slid coming down, at which point we would be equally responsive in terms of removing any barriers and restrictive policies. >> san francisco announced booster requirements for workers in high-risk settings by february 1, also the operator of negative events of 1000 people or more will be required to show proof of up-to-date vaccinations

which includes a booster received at least one week prior to an event for emma but all patrons and staff. san francisco will follow cdc guidance the people who test positive for covid-19 but are asymptomatic are recommended to isolate for five days instead of 10 with masking for an additional five days. san mateo and santa clara counties says max had already been required in public indoor settings and they did not have the exemptions other counties are rescinding. >> starting february 1, san francisco will require people to show proof of boosters to attend indoor mega-events which are 1000 people or more, that will include warriors games. operators of large artwork events and mega-events are encouraged to consider the same restriction as they do for indoor events. the order urges that. restaurants, -- urges that restaurants, bars, and gyms require patrons to show boo -- show proof of a booster shot.

a cafe has already implemented a booster requirement. everyone eating indoors will be required to show proof of a vaccine booster. the shaft says the omicron variant made that decision necessary. >> it is important that we do what we can to keep numbers low because there are people that are best protected in our community for various reasons and those of us who are protected need to do our best to keep from spreading the virus. >> they are also requiring staffers to be fully boosted to work in the restaurant. >> san francisco canceled its new year's eve fireworks show to try to prevent the spread. we asked our special correspondent today on getting answers if that was necessary. >> i have a hard time seeing wide outdoor events are being canceled. i understand it is an abundance of caution, until we know everything that we are

predicting regarding omicron. i understand it is hard to see another celebration canceled but it is important that we put out a message that people should be careful, avoid large gatherings, avoid a gathering if you cannot verify if everyone around you is vaccinated. i understand, but it is hard to see these outdoor celebrations scaled down. >> one challenge for the city is the strain put on san francisco's police and fire departments at an event that could draw tens of thousands of people. although the fireworks are a no go, you can watch the magic of the big show, we put up a previous show on the abc 7 bay area connected tv app, the apis on apple tv, android tv, amazon fire tv, and beaucoup. >> now to the sierra. interstate 80 and highway 50 are open but officials are urging people to delay travel plans until tomorrow if possible. both roadways have seen heavy congestion.

15 states are thunderstorm alerts, a lot has to do with the snow but in the southeast, record heat is triggering severe weather in the threat of tornadoes. morgan norwood has the latest. >> extreme cold, heavy snow, and avalanche danger. winter storms bearing down on the west he would northern california, for conditions of snarling traffic for miles. the record snowfall blanketing this backyard in a matter of hours. a close call in oregon, this tree collapsing onto the highway , narrowly missing this transportation worker. the snow and ice making for treacherous conditions in washington state. drivers struggling to navigate slippery streets. >> i got some ice here that i'm trying to dig out. >> blizzard conditions through the midwest from illinois to wisconsin where a fleet of snowplows raised to clear roads and highways. >> definitely stay back, give them the room to do the work. >> while the snow and ice wreak

havoc, it is a welcome sight for ski resorts and skiers. >> i have not been over the snow in years. get some cool weather and have a good time. >> the southeast is in for a round of severe weather, alabama, mississippi under a threat or severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and potential tornadoes. >> so let's take an update now on what is happening in the bay area with the rain and the cold in the sierra. >> spencer christian is here with the latest. >> it is a bit wet out there, a bit chilly. let's look at live doppler seven. the rain is winding down in the north bay. i almost pulled my camera down. you can see we have pockets of downpours near san francisco, down to millbrae, moving out over the santa cruz mountains.

in the mount hamilton area. the rain is not widespread but in some spots, it is heavy. the storm ranks one on the storm impact scale. we can expect periods of showers , tapering off later tonight and maybe ponding on roadways. the evening commute might be a slippery one. here is our forecast starting at 5:00. you can see the rain will continue shifting eastward and southward and taper off and end in the bay area by 10:00 tonight and during the overnight hours, partial clearing which should allow for temperatures to drop into the cold range by early tomorrow morning. in the sierra, it continues to snow, a winter storm warning in effect. we expect two to four feet -- inches, rather, of additional snow and up to six inches over the peaks. driving will be quite difficult. if you are thinking about going out that way for new year's,

don't know if it is a good time to leave in the next 24 hours or so. additional rainfall total will be light. we have cold weather coming our way and sunny days as well as this year winds down. i will have a seven-day forecast in a few minutes. >> thank you so much. it is here, freshly cut crab, now you can buy it straight off the boat in san francisco, is something many in the bay area have been doing for years, the composting bar going into effect for all of california in a few days. plus, hacking or heating bill,

say hello to 2022 with xfinity and you'll get fast and reliable internet for only nineteen ninety-nine a month for twelve months. plus, you can get twelve times the speed for the same price when you add xfinity mobile. you'll save hundreds over at&t. say hello to kicking off the year with this amazing offer. and with xfinity mobile, you can get a 5g phone on us and three hundred dollars back during our xfinity hello twenty twenty-two sales event! click, call or visit a store today!

ama: we have breaking news in the theranos trial, the jury went home for the evening. they will not return until monday. they have been deliberating for six days and they decide whether to convict elizabeth holmes on 11 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. the jurors are closing in on 50 hours of deliberations. dan: a jury convicted the ghislaine maxwell on five of six counts related to the abuse and trafficking of underage girls. maxwell was the longtime associate of convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein. she was indicted for conspiring with epstein and aiding his sexual abuse of girls between 1994 and 2004. maxwell faces 65 years in prison

but is expected to be sentenced to less than that. ama: e-sports wrote world boston icon yesterday, john madden died at 85. chris alvarez is live with more on how players and coaches around the nfl are remembering him. reporter: it was this time yesterday the news broke of john madden's passing and while there is great sadness in the loss of an influential sports figure, there is joy as does remember the great life he lived. depending where you were born, your memories are bit different. some know him as an open raiders coach, others knew him as an award-winning broadcaster and for some, he is the popular videogame that bear his name. today, as a new practice week began, reaction pouring and for our man that changed the game. >> he was the greatest. i think everybody has had their stay on at. i think you realize how much he touched the football world and all of us. >> i'm thankful for john for

changing the way that we all watched football and the excitement that he brought to the broadcast and his sounds and conversation and his team and his thanksgiving date or ducking. >> such an amazing man, so kind. everyone said he was a coach, he was always a coach. >> i would have been a better student if it wasn't for john madden, i spent the first 25 years of my life playing his video game all the time. reporter: i asked the 49ers linebacker on his thoughts, he meant and how cool it was be to be in the videogame. unfortunately, i still have to create a player. i do say, i'm a pretty good quarterback on the videogame. ama: i'm sure you would be great in real life. reporter: i don't know if i could take those hits. ama: for more on john madden's incredible career and life, had to abc7news.com. dan: a coalition of law

enforcement and district attorneys spoke out today against a state bill that would allow for illegal drug use at supervised sites. it would allow san francisco, oakland, and must angeles to run these programs. the bill sponsors including scott weiner says safe injection sites prevent overdoses. today, opponents claim the plan only promotes more drug consumption. >> it sounds good, safe injection sites. there are no safe injection sites. when it comes down to it, it happens in poor neighborhoods. this continues to string folks out and become addicts and this money is better utilized elsewhere with treatments. dan: the cdc says drug overdoses have surged in the pandemic claiming more than 90,000 lives. a vote is expected on the senate bill next month. ama: many people have been composting for years. starting saturday, everyone in california must separate food scraps to reduce waste going to landfills. sunnyvale has taken this one

step further, turning scraps into eco-friendly products. dave and louise show us how it works. reporter: 900 tons, that is how much waste comes into this recycling center on a daily basis. 18% gets diverted from going to a landfill facility because of a food scraps program. thanks to residents placing leftovers, trimmings from fruit and vegetables, and other foodways in a separate container, all of it will be transformed into eco-friendly products. >> this is not a pretty sight you have ever seen but it is encouraging to know that after this processing, all this would waste will become biofuel and animal feed. reporter: starting new year's day, all california residents and businesses must separate food scraps from composting. sunnyvale wanted to do more by working with a contractor. >> at their facility, they dehydrate it, pasteurize it, and able to make it into a usda

approved animal feed. also fertilizer. they are also able to make the fats into biofuel. reporter: it takes more effort for residents to separate food scraps. however, 31,000 residential customers saw their waste bills drop an average of 10% in 2019. savings resulting from reducing trash sent to landfills. >> we accept all kinds of foodss including animal bones and beats which you cannot put in your guard waste if you are composting. but you cannot put other things that might be considered compostable like napkins and paperbacks. reporter: an additional payoff is giving residents an opportunity to do something to help the environment. >> introduces the methane that can contribute to climate change and i think people feel good about helping the environment, helping the community. ama: you can find can find can n

state laws on our website. share it with your friends so we are all prepared. dan: commercial crab season is underway in the port of san francisco is making it easier for local fishermen to sell their catches. commissioners launched a new pilot program allowing fishermen to sell fresh crab right off the boat. the process began an hour ago and one fisherman we spoke with loves this change. >> it is great, especially for smaller boats like mine that do not produce thousands of tons. it gives us an option to sell off the boat. dan: the pilot program will run for at least a year. it is selling for $10 a pound. the start of the commercial season was delayed until today to allow whales to migrate safely for the winter. we missed thanksgiving and christmas with commercial crab season but just in time for new year's. ama: absolutely.

we have spencer here with a check on our weather. spencer: new year is going to bring us a dry start, a wet finish to this year but a dry start to the new one. let's look at what is happening. it is wet across most of the bay area. it has been raining throughout the day. not always soaking, but we have pockets of steady rain south of san francisco, moving down toward the peninsula. we have wet roadways, the evening commute for many is going to be a slow and slippery one. the storm still banks one -- ranks one. we expect showers and brief downpours tapering off later tonight. there could be ponding. here is a look from our move tough -- rooftop camera. current temperature ratings in the mid 40's. 45 degrees. we have low 50's at the san jose

and morgan hill. looking toward san francisco, emeryville, temperature readings, 47. it is getting chilly. napa, low 40's. 45 at livermore. one more live view, these are forecast features, rain and showers taper off tonight. we have cold and frosty mornings through the weekend. the next several mornings. wet weather returns early next week. starting at 5:00 this afternoon, the north bay has begun to dry out already and going into the evening, what is left of the storm will produce scattered showers in the south bay over into the east bay before it tapers off during the overnight hours. overnight low temperatures will be low in areas that get some clearing. 26 degrees at lakeport. mid to upper 30's and other inland locations. low 40's around the bay. heist tomorrow mainly in a tight

range of 52 to 53 degrees in most locations from coast to england. we have a winter storm warning until 10:00 tonight for the sierra. we expect six inches over the peaks. driving conditions will be difficult. here is a seven day forecast. i've mentioned those cold mornings to wind down this year and start the new one. happy new year saturday morning with a cold, right start to 2022. cloud increase sunday, although the morning gets off to a bright and chilly start. then we get rain on monday, stronger storm on tuesday. more rain on wednesday. we have a dry, chilly break for a while but more rain coming our way and we certainly needed. -- need it. dan: on this topic, on have been getting a lot of rain, it is not going to put an end to the drought. ama: our officials are trying to figure out how we can build housing and make sure there

- hi mommy! - hi honey! oh i missed you! you just want to video call the kids. ok. ♪ hush little baby...♪ ♪...don't say a word...♪ but if slow upload speeds turn your goodnight call into an accidental horror movie... can you hear me? shut it down. just remember.

you're not a bad mom. you just need better internet. 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 877.only.att.

dan: if the storm cycle is helping with a short-term water outlook in california, it might raise some questions about where we go from here. ama: what is the likely impact on our drought and available water for new development? here is spencer christian. spencer: it is the decades long conflict even our recent surge of storms cannot wash away. how to build the thousands of

new housing units we need and at the same time ensure there is enough water for an expanding population. john goodwin is with the association of bay area governments. >> we have a chronic housing problem in housing affordability problem. so there is a tension between the acute water problems and the chronic housing problems. spencer: while the storms might bring short-term relief, experts believe a true and to the current drought could be a long way off. marin county is working on plans for a new emergency water pipeline across the richmond san rafael bridge. other agencies .2 diminishing groundwater that could take years to replenish. at least one bay area believes the housing challenge can be tackled with long-term planning. >> we looked at whether the bay area could grow the way it is expected to grow, build a housing data needs to build --

housing that it needs to build and use the water. spencer: laura feinstein is at the nonprofit spur. the group found that existing solutions could have a major impact. >> we found that with using available technology, the bay area could add 2.2 million new homes in the next 50 years and use no more water were less than it does today. spencer: the study argues that the average home loses 10% of its water because of leaks. water intensive landscaping is another drain. the study found building denser housing with small yard space and more efficient water systems including recycling would pay off over time. >> our modeling is looking 50 years out and it is looking at how you build in these gradual efficiencies over time and realize big gains over a period of decades. spencer: the researchers point to trending since the 1980's saying the bay area has been

able to cut water use by 25%, even as population was growing, while acknowledging the current crisis facing regional water districts, john goodwin says bay area planners are trying to keep a long-term view, pointing out that housing planned now might take years to break ground. >> in terms of prioritizing these emergencies, our focus has been on housing. spencer: hopefully, including solutions that can impact both crises moving forward. dan: there is an additional climate related challenge complicating the housing debate and that is fire and whether it may not be practical to build in some parts of the bay area in the future given the increased wildfire risk. ama: there are major traffic impacts in the sierra without record-breaking snow. dan: we talked with drivers who spent more than 12 hours trying to get home. >> i have a story story story sy for today, hacking your heating bill.

- [announcer] the more we learn about covid-19, the more questions we have. the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673, or live chat at calhope.org today.

>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. dan: governor newsom activated the state operations center because of the record-breaking snow that is having major impacts in the sierra. for those in places like south lake tahoe, concerns have turned to short fuel supplies and food supplies at local businesses. many who visited for the christmas holiday are finally home after spending more than 12 hours in traffic. sacramento has spoke with some of them and has more on the challenges that locals are dealing with. >> it was the most terrifying

experience i have ever dealt with. reporter: emily is back in san francisco -- sacramento, home after more than 18 hours in the car. we spoke with her guests today -- with her yesterday. >> a lot of cars were slipping into snowbanks, we ended up losing control of our car and almost crashed into two other people. reporter: this meant is also back home after he and his family how their own long commute back. but to get back on the road, it was nearly impossible for his family who had a rented home in tahoe for the holidays. snow blocked their driveway. >> he had no more food. we went to our left-hand side neighbor, we asked for some food. we bought some food. reporter: even if he and his family had been able to get into town, they would have found scarce supplies because of the traffic is used delivery trucks -- traffic issues delivery trucks face. >> we are monitoring what

resources our grocery stores have and gas stations. we have been in contact with highway patrol and asked that they help escort those trucks. reporter: caltrans officials still recommend that only people driving for essential purposes like delivery truck drivers make their way to the sierra. >> is not ideal and it is not safe. reporter: the snow also impacting other parts of california like twin heart. this resident has a home there and tells ustiinreghe t and mans without generators are without power. >> we have neighbors who have been here for decades and they say this is the most they have seen. reporter: a city manager says the local community will get through this. >> we are a resilient community. wildfires, snowstorms, power outages, we deal with it. dan: for so long, there was no snow up there. now all this.

home heating bills could jump 30% for most americans this winter. ama: michael finney is here with advice on how to keep those bills down. michael: judging by today, we are going to pay for heating bills this winter. those bills can get pricey even if you use heat with either gas or electric. here is money-saving tips to help you hack a high heating bill. the government report made headlines and shocked consumers. home heating bills could jump an average of 30% for most americans depending on the type of fuel they use. what can you do to save money? consumer reports experts say there are some easy ways to reduce the amount of energy your years. >> your hvac system uses the most energy and it is important to make sure it is running efficiently. reporter: that usually requires professional maintenance once a year. but there are things you can do yourself.

start by checking the filters. when they are dirty, the unit has to work harder. so clean and replace them regularly. check your doors and windows. don't let the warm air you are paying for inside leak outside. >> y y weatherstripping and dropped blockers around doors and windows to seal in warm air. for bigger gaps, use foam. cold air can come in through outlets on external walls, so pop in some form outlet sealers. michael: think about installing a smart thermostat, they lower the temperature when you are asleep or away. >> many of them use sensors and your phone's location data to adjust your home's temperature. michael: adding a blanket and lowering the thermostat 10 to 15 degrees overnight can cut your heating cost by up to 10%. for even more savings, check with your utility company. they might offer rebates and incentives to make some energy upgrades.

one more thing. if you have not done it already, remember to reverse direction of your ceiling fans so the blade pushes warm air down from the top and the room warms up rather than take it away. dan: i forgot about that, that is good. ama: a 17-year-old bay area native is headed to broadway, the decline compose a ballot for her student one musical film and won a national competition. >> ♪ times were not easy for a japanese girl whose mother was irish, no place in the world set it to push harder and prove them all wrong and never forget who you are ♪ ♪ that maybe we don't fully understand. there are certain things that are universal that are reflected in music like love, falling in

love, facing challenges, and having songs that account that can be a way to carry you through when you are going through tough times. i am really fine, i am 17 years old, i am a senior. ♪ ♪ you always said, come get it work hard and keep your head high ♪ ♪ applicants who sent in their demos of their songs that could be included in the musical. there were 13 winners selected, 12 songs overall. once they were selected, you get to work with a mentor and composer to make your song broadway ready. i was shocked when i first learned because i submitted the application back in may or june.

i did not hear back from them for a long time so i forgot about it and then it was mid september when i got this email in my inbox and it was during school and i was like, oh my god. to have that validation that stories matter, asian american stories matter, that we have a voice. ♪ i did not find a lot of stories that reflected who i am as a person as half asian, half white, half japanese. i knew i was going to have to perform this musical and i thought, i need to find stories that represent me and people like me who i never represented on screen or in musicals. after a lot of research, i found this story of this interracial family and based the story off of what their daughter might be like. once we got there, we created the plot and we found, this is

where she is going to sing this song that needs to get her from point a to point b. when it came time to start writing scenes and songs, i said, does anybody want to do this? lily was one of the people that wanted to. it was a beautiful song. it was supported by a composer. he helped her shape it. but it was her idea and her writing and her lyrics. then she found this competition which is a national competition for high school students. >> now that i won the award, i got to work with a composer and music director/mentor. they are both professionals in the industry and it is really exciting. >> one thing that gets me up in the morning is watching my students weak up to their own inner beauty -- wake up to their own inner beauty and impact in that their voices matter in that it is worth risking the fear of

rejection in order to really step forth with their true selves and reach out across the stage to the audience as well as to each other. it gets me up in the morning, it is the most beautiful thing to see that lightbulb go on and for them to trust who they are. ♪ dan: she is so talente she is st to party or not to party? ama: say hello to 2022 with xfinity and you'll get fast and reliable internet for only nineteen ninety-nine a month for twelve months. plus, you can get twelve times the speed for the same price

when you add xfinity mobile. that's more speed and more value. say hello to kicking off the year with this amazing offer. and with xfinity mobile, you can get a 5g phone on us and three hundred dollars back during our xfinity hello twenty twenty-two sales event! click, call or visit a store today!

dan: time for the four at 4:00. health officials urge people to reconsider their new year's eve gatherings in light of the covid-19 surge. dr. fauci said that if you are planning to have a small family gathering and everyone is vaccinated and boosted, the risk is fairly low, but if you are going to a 40 or 50 person party, he recommends against that. yesterday, we talked with a family who is holding a party but spending $1500 to test everyone before hand, which seems like a fun yet responsible way to do it. true confessions, i hate new year's eve parties. always have. this is a perfect excuse for me not to go to one. >> we will make sure we do not invite you. i get it, i know it has been two years and people want to go out

and enjoy our new year's eve and they are testing, but i think i would opt not to go to any large gatherings right now. dan: what dr. fauci said was interesting, if it is just your family and a few close friends and everyone is vaccinated, maybe so, but 40, 50 people, maybe not a great idea. >> i don't even know 40 or 50 people who would go to a party like that. earlier, we were thinking about going out to dinner for me as if, i think we are just going to stay home and enjoy each other's company, order in, have a night at home. dan: you and i talked about that, that sound like a great night. >> still sounds good. princeton university students will be facing tough restrictions when they return to campus following the holiday break. the school announced it is barring all undergraduate students from leaving the area surrounding the new jersey campus until mid february. except in extraordinary circumstances.

princeton is also staggering returned days to flatten the positivity rate, several colleges including stanford will be holding classes virtually for at least two weeks following the holiday break. i don't know how you are going to police that. are we putting trackers on people? i like maybe for a couple weeks, we start virtually and give people a chance to stop traveling, figure out if they are sick or not. what do you think? dan: i agree, i don't know how they police. although it is princeton. i'm not sure how they would monitor but i guess putting it out there makes people more aware, more people will cooperate. >> i thought back to my time in college and after the winter break, you don't really go anywhere in january and february, you stay on campus. it might be a mental thing knowing that you cannot leave mixing want to leave more. it might be easier than we think you stay on campus. dan: they went home for thanksgiving.

today is tiktok day, nothing to do with the social media company. december between nine is tiktok day at a serves as a reminder to complete whatever you need to do before the end of the year, like finishing a book or a project or anything you hoped to do during this year. it was greeted by a couple who claimed to have copyright it more than 70 holidays. that was their big project i guess. >> i feel like i need to know more about that. dan: it is a little like new year's resolutions. do you have any projects or something you are trying to get done? >> my husband gave me a project that i have not gotten to. it involves cleaning and organizing a drawer. >> time is running out. dan: i have a pile of stuff in my closet i'm supposed to deal with. >> i have this drawer at home things just pile and pile and

pile and i don't know if you can relate, but i cannot seem to get to that drawer. >> maybe that is ama's drawer too. >> at least in a drawer out of sight. >> a drawer is tiny. we can do it. dan: i always push that is been cleaning. >> it appears there is an end to all of gardens never any possible. the president and coo stated that business is so good at the restaurant, the promotion is no longer needed to draw customers. olive garden stopped ending the never-ending possible last year because of the pandemic, the deal gave customers the opportunity to eat unlettered -- on the minutes servings. -- on limited servings. it is surprising because restaurant struggled during the pandemic that they don't need to lure people? dan: they have that lure of the

never-ending possible. they have never-ending salad and by sticks too. >> as long as they don't get rid of the breadsticks. [laughter] >> i love olive garden, i have not been there in so long. >> who has actually done the never-ending possible? dan: i have a couple times. >> i admit, i read one of those olive garden waiter reveals all. there are some people who order it and keep going and going until they did not feel well at the end, if you know what i'm saying. i'm not going to say it. who does that? >> don't want to think about that. dan: that is

ama: a warning about the doomsday glacier in antarctica, scientists say images show fracturing along the ice shelves that safeguard the glacier. sheets could shatter in the next three to five years, posing the biggest threat to sea level rise this century. the glacier is the widest in the world, about the size of florida , and could raise sea levels by more than two feet. if the level jumps to 10 feet, surrounding glaciers collapse as well. the santa clara valley transportation authority took a step towards easing bus driver shortage.

26 new drivers graduated from the intense nine week training program. the agency says the new operators including three women will help with a critical shortage of more than 70 bus operators and bolster the frequency of service. driver shortages have played transit agencies nationwide in recent years. vta is also reeling from a mass shooting last year that killed 10 people. dan: san francisco's new year's eve celebration has been canceled but the ball drop is still on. >> 3, 2, 1. happy new year. dan: organizers tested the tes confetti set to fall when the clock strikes midnight, they practice everything. on new year's eve, they will release 1.5 tons of confetti. earlier, workers installed the ball. the celebration will be limited to 50,000 people who are vaccinated and required to wear masks. there is usually one million people or so.

you can watch the ball drop from home here on abc 7. dick clark's new year's rockin' eve's on friday night with a short break for news at 11:00. that is new year's eve for me, stay at home, enjoy it with some snacks. ama: but if you are going out, what is the weather hole? spencer: the choice of broadcasting from home. my computer did a crash on me. if you bear with me, i will tell you that the rain we have had this afternoon going into the evening will continue in pockets. it will be mainly lightweight and showers, the occasional downpour. i got my graphics back so let me put up the map and show you. the rain is going to taper off tonight and going into the overnight hours, will probably have partial clearing which is a good thing but also going to bring temperatures down into the chilly range. the storm ranks only one. let's look at overnight lows,

upper 20's in your kayak, mainly 30's in other inland valley locations. highs tomorrow under clearing skies. a narrow range, 51 to 53 degrees across the region. not going to be a warm day but a cool and dry day. for the seven-day forecast, chilly mornings coming our way under bright skies for the next four mornings but next week, the rain returns and it is going to be a wet first week of 2022. ama: thank you. dan: 2021 has been a tough year for a lot of people. ama: next, we are focusing on some of the most inspirational people of the year.

- hi mommy! - hi honey! oh i missed you! you just want to video call the kids. ok. ♪ hush little baby...♪ ♪...don't say a word...♪

but if slow upload speeds turn your goodnight call into an accidental horror movie... can you hear me? shut it down. just remember. you're not a bad mom. you just need better internet. 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 877.only.att.

dan: from a six-year-old coach to the youngest american to go to space. ama: a look at some of the most inspirational people of 2021. reporter: in 2021, inspiration coming from sources near and far. >> i could not believe how

beautiful it was. reporter: haley becoming the youngest american to go to space, onboard spacex's inspiration 4. >> i think having cancer made me tough. reporter: a former patient at st. jude's research hospital now working there as a physician's assistant. facetiming her patient starting her three-day stint in outer space. >> going through treatment and having that hope, that is what made me love my life. that is what gives me so many sunny days. and absolutely loving the day you are in. because you are here. reporter: proving to her patients and the rest of us that not even the sky's the limit. back on the ground, proof you don't need to be big to make a big impact. >> legends are made every day and you could be one of the greats. reporter: this six-year-old coach motivating millions on tiktok with his pint-sized

hockey pep talks. >> you can be amazing. you just have to work hard for the w. you have to show them what it takes. reporter: in a time when the performances seemed impossible, joe playing voc concerts from her fire escape. >> doing what i love because it is making me and others happy. reporter: these everyday heroes proving that hope is always just around the corner. >> if i could tell tendril haley that she would one day go to space, i wouldn't because that is the fun of life, you don't know what is coming. that is the reason to hang in there. ama: have raised more than $240 million for saint jude since their journey to space. dan: that is this addition of abc 7 news at 4:00. we appreciate your time. ama: news at 5:00 is coming up

next, we hope you can stay with us. ♪

say hello to 2022 with xfinity and you'll get fast and reliable internet for only nineteen ninety-nine a month for twelve months. plus, you can get twelve times the speed for the same price when you add xfinity mobile. you'll save hundreds over at&t. say hello to kicking off the year with this amazing offer. and with xfinity mobile, you can get a 5g phone on us and three hundred dollars back during our xfinity hello twenty twenty-two sales event! click, call or visit a store today!

>> building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc7 news. >> covid cases are surging and restrictions are tightening. indoor masking is back, as a handful of counties reverse their decisions to offer mask exemptions. thank you for joining us. ama: you are watching abc7 news. here's a look at california numbers driving the covid concerns. today the test positivity rate hit double digits. it was 9.7% yesterday and 5.4% on monday. it's now 11.2%. hospitalizations are up 10% to more than 5000 patients. more than 20,000 new cases reported. the number of icu admissions remained relatively stable while there were 71 new deaths. dan: because of the surge, bay ar