>> now from abc 7, live breaking news. >> did you guys ama: to see that. ama: in colorado. more than 32,000 people are being told to evacuate. this man escaped through a wall of flames. this is one of multiple buyers running 20 miles north of denver, fueled by strong winds, up to 100 miles per hour. the communities of superior and louisville have been evacuated. >> it is raining down ash a mile >> or so that way. > scary>>, right >>? seen anything like it? >> ama: authorities believe

downed power lines may have sparked at least two of the buyers. heavy rain and snow are expected tomorrow. good evening, thank you for joining us. dan: we move next to the coronavirus and its impact on new year's eve celebrations. some large-scale events are still on, despite many others being canceled. our reporter is in the newsroom with more. reporter: we are talking about 400 plus people at some of these events, all set in close quarters. they're the type of parties doctors are worried about. some concerns they could be super-spreader events that will hinder the most infectious. of our surge. >> in moraine -- in moraine, empty chairs. >> i'm hopeful we will have a next year. reporter: mike don who is

relieved. >> a lot of fear of omicron and transmission. reporter: while some are prioritizing safety, others are setting sail with sizable risks. in san francisco seven 400 people are attending a yacht party. proof of vaccination is required, but large gatherings like these are considered high-risk, even for people who receive boosters. >> i think people need to be careful. attend smaller events, try try attend events where everyone has been vaccinated and boosted. keep your masks on if you are entering large indoor events. reporter: ucsf doctor once the next two weeks will be the most critical. omicron now accounts for 50% to 70% of new covid cases across the state. what would be the threshold for

you in terms of indoor events? >> a handful of couples. the 200 person event, that is going to be tough. reporter: as you're scrolling through, contemplate your plans to ring in 2022, set your sites with safe expectations. it is about assessing your own risk. >> we know about lots of events, including a big party in marin county where there was lots of transmission. where everyone was vaccinated and boosted. maybe next year we will be back to the good old days. reporter: to get there we have to be careful. we are expecting to see the biggest impact in hospitalizations during the second week of january, stressing we are just about to hit the peak of our current surge. dan: dr. rutherford has given us such good guidance, what does he think about the omicron surge, how long is it going to last? reporter: he expects by

mid-february. we heard the same from dr. walk-through this week -- dr. wachter this week. one thing i wind appoint out, pointing to denmark as a example given the country has a similar vaccination rate as the bay area and their omicron surge went in about a month. ama: here's a look at the latest california numbers. today the test positive the rate climbed to almost 13%. it was 11.2 percent yesterday. 9.7% on tuesday. where than 37,000 new cases were reported. hospitalizations are up nearly 6%, to nearly 5500 patients. the number of i see you admissions rose by 115. there were 190 deaths. dan: tonight warriors game against the nuggets were

postponed. the nuggets don't have enough healthy players. head coach and three other players are in the covid health and safety protocols. the league requires each team to have eight available players to proceed with the game. no word yet on whether the game will be rescheduled. the warrior's game is slated for saturday against the utah jazz. ama: health officials are estimating the omicron surge could be over by february. but not before first testing our health system. reporter: is the number of omicron cases continues to rise, the peak in hospitalizations is expected. >> may be in the second, third week of january. the european and south african experience, the wave has come and gone pretty quickly. like in the space of one, 1.5 months. reporter: ucsf professor george rutherford predicts omicron will be around much longer. >> a lot of this will be over

and done with by february. reporter: it is not just omicron. >> still have a lot of delta circulating as well. there is a mix right now. reporter: that makes, along with rising case numbers caused county officials to require masks and all indoor settings including guy ohms. -- jim's. >> we would be equally responsive in terms of removing any barriers. reporter: dr. rutherford says he believes people are receiving the message to be careful with the upcoming holiday. he suggests of someone has exposure and receives a negative antigen test but is symptomatic, retest. >> testing people over two or three tests will help us catch everyone. reporter: he reminds that vaccines and boosters mean less severe disease and less likely to be hospitalized.

dan: the food and drug administration plans to allow 12 to 15-year-olds to receive pfizer booster shots as soon as monday. younger children, ages five to 11 with immune efficiencies are also expected to get approval. the centers for disease control said travelers should avoid cruise ships, regardless of vaccination status. this is in response to the increase of cases driven by the omicron variant. more than 1200 flights were canceled across the united states today. covid related staffing shortages and bad weather blamed for the disruption. ama: in southern california, heavy rain because frightening moments at a campground along pacific coast highway. coast guard used boats to rescue people and pets. 4.5 inches of rain fell in the water -- in the area over the past two days. just the past 30 minutes, the grapevine section on i-5

reopened in both directions. this is video from earlier today where it was closed because of snow and ice. caltrans shared video of crews bowing and deicing the highway. caltrans did open its newgate to allow northbound traffic to make a u-turn and go back south. both directions are now back open. dan: in the sierra, they deployed fire engines. they tweeted these photos of work in placer county. caltrans and chp say road conditions have improved significantly today. they were impassable the last couple days. remind visitors to always be prepared for travel delays and pack essentials. also one that things like fuel and grocery supplies in communities along the way to tahoe are still in the process of being restocked. ama: while conditions on the roads are improving, some sierra communities are still struggling. in pollock pines, thousands are still without power.

pg&e says it may not be restored until january 10. >> as it stands right now we really don't have any way out. reporter: trying to stay optimistic, they are snowed in. >> could be a lot worse. we have a roof over our head and food. reporter: they use a stove to stay warm, they have a generator. but debbie needs a cpap machine, so they only run at night. >> we need that power now. reporter: it is been a hectic several days for gordon, helping bring food, fuel and other necessities to senior citizens at the mobile home parks he works for. >> i'm worried someone is going to froze to death. reporter: he and others have concerns about how long this outage may drag on. >> our resources are stretched thin. reporter: trucks were delayed because of the massive traffic jam brought on by holiday

travelers. this is the utility pg&e alerted some sierra customers crews are not expected on site for another 10 days. >> please fuel up where they have lots of fuel. our little towns need this fuel to survive. please. stay away if you can. ama: dan: now for more on the forecast up there and new year's eve here. let's go to abc 7 news meteorologist sandhya patel. sandhya: it is just a beautiful wintry scene. snow on the ground. today, the statewide snowpack is at 160% of average. the snow showers of pre-much left us. now, frigid weather is in store. they show you where the storm into southern california. you just saw the flooding issues. in malibu, snow over the grain

-- grapevine. if you are traveling, be prepared for very frigid mornings. coldest in five mornings, three degrees saturday. eight degrees sunday. slight chance of a few snow showers tomorrow in the afternoon. it is only going to be 16 in the morning. 35 in the afternoon. if you're bringing in the new year there, definitely put on heavy winter coats. and gloves and scarves. chill for us in the bay area. new year's eve forecast coming up. ama: still ahead, a miraculous recovery. finally released from a bay area hospital. why she credits her social media followers after helping her get the care she needed. dan: what's hot and what is not. some of the surprising consumer first psoriasis, then psoriatic arthritis. it was really holding me back.

standing up... ...even walking was tough. my joints hurt. i was afraid things were going to get worse. i was always hiding, and that's just not me. not being there for my family, that hurt. woooo! i had to do something. i started cosentyx®. i'm feeling good. watch me. cosentyx helps people with psoriatic arthritis move, look, and feel better. it targets more than just joint pain and treats the multiple symptoms like joint swelling and tenderness, back pain, helps clear skin and helps stop further joint damage. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections—some serious —and the lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. it's good to be moving on. watch me. move, look, and feel better. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx.

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dan: tracking consumer trends takes many forms. what people are buying is one way to do that. so our questions they have and advise they are seeking. ama: abc 7 news reporter finds out what is hot and what is not by turning to a popular site that keeps tabs on trends. reporter: yes it is that time of year, out with the old, in with the new. san francisco bay fields over 3 -- ceo andy says over the gives them what is on the rise of what is losing steam. weddings are definitely making a comeback after covid caused couples to hold off. wedding questions are 30%. disability making a comeback. questions about advocates of jumped up 65%. >> should i invite this this thi

these kind of sensitive that people aren't sure how to ask impolite way. reporter: inquiries about employment have increased. >> people are stuck at home. a lot things you can do yourself. you don't have to pay $300 or $500 for plumber to come to your house. reporter: a drop-off in interest in clock repairs. what is behind that? >> everyone is on covid time. no one needs to keep track of the clock as much. reporter: gaming is still big, but with no area -- no new systems released, that is losing steam. advice about firearms dropped 39%. other interesting trends, on the rise, consumers want information on reptile behavior and dream behavior -- dream interpretation. interest in boats is down 16%. people are more interested in our these -- rvs.

those questions are up 27%. dan: still ahead, a miraculous step on the long load -- long road of recovery. a travel blogger was finally able to leave the san francisco hospital whe

ama: a highway patrol investigating a chain reaction crash that killed someone on highway 37 this morning. a westbound big break swerved to avoid slower traffic around 11:30, then hit three cars, smashed the surges by and smashed head-on into a pickup truck. the driver was killed. the break from the center median hit another car. one other dan:. today, a bay area travel blogger who suffered horrific tragedies

walked out of eight south bay hospital to start a new phase in her recovery. zach point is was there and has the story. reporter: this is kaylynn mccaffrey, walking out of santa clara medical center today, marking a major milestone in her recovery. her trips around the world and big personality captivated her 11,000 plus instagram followers. santa clara county natives post on july 30 celebrated her two-month stay in bali. one day after that, she was in a motorscooter accident. found by good samaritans, unconscious with life-threatening injuries. >> i don't remember the accident, probably for good reason. reporter: her injuries were so severe she had to get back to the u.s.. she had travel insurance, family said it refused to pay for her to get back to the u.s.. i august, her thousands of followers and others came through, using more than 250 thousand dollars on gofundme to

bring her home and into a world-class rehab center. >> when she first got here. she was very -- barely talking. reporter: a team of doctors and therapists rallied around her. >> the first challenge was getting caitlin talking. even though she is beautiful, multiple injuries to her face and throat. >> we've been working everyday on her talking and eating, her memory, paying attention to what is reporter: going on around her. reporter:reporter: that work leading to these moments. caitlin now being able to speak for herself. >> i am excited. at least i get to see my mom and sister. i can do man thing. reporter: to the thousands who helped raise the mind to get her back home and into the lifesaving care she received. >> thank you so much for supporting me. reporter: her family says this is only the beginning of her

journey to recovery. today is a huge step. in the future, she hopes to become a motivational speaker. dan: she would be a good motivational speaker. ama: let's get a check on her weather. dan: abc 7 news meteorologist sandhya patel is back. sandhya: time to dry out for a few days. that we will bring some storms back in as we start off a new year. i want to show you the drop monitor. where we stood last week, most of the state was an extreme to exceptional drought. as we look at the conditions today, we've seen an improvement. f neatly in the bay area you are looking at last -- fewer areas in the extreme to exceptional drought. we've mostly severe to extreme drought. making a difference. exploratorium camera. it is 50 in the city, oakland, san jose. phone gate bridge camera at seeing those clouds lingering across the region. upper 40's to low 50's from santa rosa to napa as we look at

live doppler 7. all quiet. a few clouds just hanging around. here's a lively -- lovely view from our san jose camera. cold the next three mornings with areas of frost. drive for new year's eve and the holiday weekend. wet, windy pattern continues next week. here is our 12 hour planner for new year's eve. we know the fireworks are not happening in san francisco, if you're happy -- celebrating it in time, 40's, 50's. 5:00 the sun goes down, the chill is going to settle in. as you ring in the new year, grab your jacket or coat. those temperatures will be dropping into the 30's and 40's at midnight. tomorrow morning, upper 20's topper 30's except near the coast. we are going to see some patchy frost to start the morning. for the afternoon, highs will range from the 40's around the northern end of our viewing area to low 50's and the rest of the region. plenty of son to end the 2021

and going into the new year. i do want to warn you, the king tides are coming up. there's a coastal flood advisory, minor closer flooding -- coastal flooding is expected. if you want to take a walk, be careful. just over seven feet saturday sunday and monday morning. as you check out what is ahead for monday, storm cisterns coming in -- storm systems coming in. warmer storm. this continues into tuesday. lingering into wednesday. even beyond that, we may see more wet weather. the accuweather seven-day forecast. try and to 2022 to -- 2021. as you ring in the new year. dry but frosty. level 1 monday through wednesday. wet weather for you to start off a new year. thank you.

dan: re: rate a pot the bubbly and start the new year? we

ama: just as people get rates of

farewell -- say farewell to 2021, there's a champagne shortage to tell you about. some of the higher end brands are sold out in many markets. the reason for the shortage is threefold, increase demand, diminished grape harvest and a disrupted supply chain. >> there's definitely a champagne shortage today and tomorrow. a lot of champagne currently on the water, due in soon. for now, some of the familiar faces are challenged ama: to get the season. ama:experts say there are other types of sparkling wines and urge new year's eve revelers to explore some of the lesser-known brands. searches have searched 120% since 2019. dan: dan: job a plan for your party. this is the peak time for party supply stores. many are seeing business pick up compared to the last two years. >> this year is better than last year. we are definitely not back to pre-pandemic, but we feel like

everyone is starting to get back to a little bit of normalcy. getting together for the new year to celebrate, in hopes that 2022 is going to be better than 2020 and 2021. ama: one of the biggest sellers as balloons. they have everything from nylon to mylar, even centerpieces. don't forget, although san francisco's fireworks show was canceled. you can still watch the magic. check the app to see the previously recorded shows. dan: you can also watch the times square ball drop from home right here on abc 7. dick clark's rocket new year's eve with ryan seacrest is on with a short break for abc news at 11:00. ama: world news is coming up next. dan: thank you for your time. we will see you in half an hour for abc 7 news at 6:00.

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tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. life-threatening wildfires sweeping through parts of colorado. late today, the governor declaring a state of emergency. reports of multiple injuries, burn victims rushed to the hospitals. high winds fueling the flames. tens of thousands of people in the denver suburbs told to get out right now. evacuations under way throughout boulder county. powerful gusts downing power lines. transformers exploding. store customers rushing for the exits. the area expecting snow tomorrow, but it may not come soon enough. rob marciano standing by with the fire conditions and severe weather threats ahead of the new year. also tonight, the highly contagious omicron variant surging across america. the national case average climbing to an all-time high. 316,000 cases per day.