next at 7:00 on "today in the bay" -- a group takes responsibility for an explosion that killed almost 50 people and answers questions about whether it was really a woman who carried out the suicide bombing. and the rain cannot dampen christmas celebrations around the bay area. we'll take a look at that. plus a dog that went missing is back home this morning. see how two men found this second half of their pair of missing pets. this is "today in the bay." and we're going to take you to alcatraz this morning with this beautiful live shot.

it is 7:00 on this damp sunday morning. good morning and thank you for joining us. i'm marlo. chris sanchez is off this morning. with me is meteorologist rob mayeda. >> good morning. did you have a pretty nice christmas. >> it was very wet. >> sorry about that. >> that's not your fault. it's not. >> we still have lingering effects of all the weather yesterday. the temperatures hour by hour, and notice we're really not going to warm up a whole lot. we'll get sunshine at times, we're talking highs mid to upper 50s. what will be different than yesterday is that we're not going to see widespread rain. just the hit and miss showers and we're seeing plenty along highway 17 towards san jose. a few showers around hayward and fremont. the east bay quiet for now but you'll see coming up in the seven-day forecast we're going to catch a break but fog could really slow things down for the next couple morning. a look and that and the forecast in a couple minutes. >> thanks. new this morning, it has been a wet christmas weekend, but people didn't let the

weather stop them from celebr e celebrating outdoors. "today in the bay's" kimberly terry has more. >> reporter: from fisherman's wharf to union square the rain didn't dampen the christmas spirit for those determined to spend part of the holiday outside. >> a lot of rain. we haven't seen this much in a while. we kind of like it. >> i love the rain. >> reporter: some were a little more excited about it than others. >> i think it looks pretty bad. because of the weather. >> reporter: mattie and her family visiting from tahoe were on the hunt for a kid-sized umbrella, with most stores closed for christmas they were out of luck. >> i really wanted one. they didn't sell one. >> reporter: the ice rinks at union square and the embark dara were closed for a while because of the wet weather, but once the skies cleared the gates reopened. >> i love it. it's christmas. this is christmas, better than honolulu, you cannot do this in

honolu honolulu. >> no. not even. >> reporter: probably no puddle jumping there either, but in san francisco, there was plenty of that. we found one woman deliberately making a splash with her christmas gift. >> i have on these great new rain boots so i actually wish it was raining more. >> you would jump around in puddles. >> i have been stomping around in puddles. >> reporter: people found a way to have a good time. >> i love our winter weather. >> it's not ideal, but it's got a certain ambiance to it. >> reporter: kimberly terry, "today in the bay." new today, an overnight tsunami did not cause any damage in the western pacific. a 7.3 magnitude quake struck off the island of vanna what tu. a tsunami warning went out but the wave measured six inches higher than normal. vacationers spending christmas there say they felt it around midnight there. one man says he ran outside after the quake to watch the

sea, but nothing happened. it lies between australia and fiji. about 220,000 people live there. today is the anniversary of the tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people around the indian ocean in 2004. a 9.0 magnitude quake hit off indonesia on december 26th of that year. it killed people in indonesia, sri lanka, india, thailand and nine other countries. also new today, the pakistani taliban is claiming it's responsible for a bombing that killed at least 43 people and injured 90 others. the explosion happened near a united nations food distribution center yesterday. the u.n. is feeding people who have been displaced by fighting. that bombing forced to close all of its food distribution centers for the time being. the pakistani taliban is denying reports the suicide bomber was a woman. back here in the bay area, happy ending to a terrible dog

abuse case in oakland. clint and kevin are both back with their family today. the two dogs ran away last thursday, one day later an oakland police officer found kevin beaten and shot with a pellet gun. there was no sign of clint until friday night. the owner says the dog ended up wandering into a nearby backyard. that family took him in, gave him a bath and decided he looked a lot like a dog from craigslist and from nbc bay area. they called the owner and to make sure, sent him a picture of the dog by phone. >> so we saw the picture and i immediately just said, this is clint. we need to get in the car, need to go right now. and so we went over and picked him up and right away, he just jumped right up and started howling and just all excited to be back with us. >> clint is not hurt and kevin is expected to make a full recovery. san francisco's glide

memorial church had one of its busiest days of the year this christmas. organizers of their christmas turkey lunch say more than 500 volunteers stepped in to help feed the homeless yesterday. now many were behind the scenes in the kitchen chopping and carving the holiday music. glide says it served more than 5,000 people between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 in the afternoon this christmas. the non-profit has been helping the poor for 45 years. fire trucks filled with toys delivered a very merry christmas to thousands of children in san francisco. the fire fighters annual toy drive was facing a major shortfall just this past week. but then thousands of people donated toys during a marathon drive held by lefty odul's bar in union square. the hall added up to almost 15,000 toys, that's 5,000 more than their target goal. still ahead on "today in the bay" -- people in southern

california are cleaning up after mudslides. we'll show you how one family is dealing with all that damage. and then rain turns into snow in the sierra. see the winter wonderland. next when "today in the bay" continues. it's really delicious, mom. it's not too well done? nope. but it is a job well done. what are you reading, sweetie? her diary. when you're done, i'd love some feedback. sure. your mom and i read that thing cover-to-cover. loved it. thanks. would you mind if i cut the lawn this weekend? only if you let me talk to your mother on the phone

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has a big impact. >> planning for christmas shopping gift yourself with a lifetime present of a beautiful dazzling smile. making invis line affordable with $1500 off and free teeth whiting included. call 800-360-9250. check this out. welcome back to "today in the bay." it is 7:09. we have a live look at the moon as it shines bright above. what a beautiful shot there. a lot of people are still cleaning up from this week's record-setting rainfall in southern california. instead of opening presents this christmas, the hernandez family from highland tackled the

mountains of mud that swallowed their home after this week's storm. the river of water and mud surged into their home thursday with little warning. they say they were lucky to make it out alive. they're thankful for the outpouring of support from friends, neighbors and even complete strangers who sent money, clothes and basic necessities. >> i didn't know there were so many good people out there. i did not. god bless you all and thank you. >> highland might get more rain later this week, though. showers are predicted for wednesday. all the rain here turned into snow in the sierra. now chains are required on both i-80 and highway 50 this morning. danielle lee has a look. >> reporter: you can hear the blowing wind at boreal ski resort. winds so fierce at times it pushing the skier over. >> it's pretty blisry and it

just like hit during like the day and like it just got worse and worse. like it got pretty windy, tents were flying all over the place. >> i am freezing to death. >> reporter: the same winds and snow that have skiers bundled up. >> i prepared myself. skavs, gloves everything. >> drivers slowing down. >> it's going to be a trek on the way home. >> jorge didn't bother to check for chain controls. he strapped them on before heading out. >> have them on right now and be safe. >> safe and smiling despite the conditions. because there's one thing these skiers know about this sdorm. >> there's been a lot more powder. >> it brings a good skiing opportunities. >> reporter: i checked in with california highway patrol. they tell me there are no major accident because of the storm. however they are advising everyone to slow down, chain controls are in effect. if you head out this way make sure not to forget those chains. danielle lee, nbc bay area news.

coming up next on "today in the bay" -- gas prices hit a two-year high in the bay area. how much you'll have to pay this morning coming up. >> still looks like you'll need an umbrella outside. live look around san bruno mountains, showers rolling through the bay area. the rest of your forecast is coming up. >> my name is elizabeth. this is my husband chris, son nathan and daughter camille. we wanted to say hi to oakland california. we love you and miss you. >> say hi. >> yaya. >> hi yaya.

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with no blackout dates or restrictions. good morning to you. welcome back. we have a live look of the transamerica building in san francisco. some cloud cover and rob mayeda joins me now and says don't put those umbrellas away just yet. >> not yet.

especially around san jose. seeing showers around. it's a little chilly in a few spots. i have to show you all the rain falling in the bay area. it heads up to the sierras. you saw the report. snow coming down. weather watcher photo from everette showing us the opposite side of the sierra. look at all that snow, crisp cold conditions, snow showers continue around the sierra for today. probably another six to seven inches of new snow during the day today. right now from the mountains back to san francisco, 48 degrees, that's a little bit of an improvement. we had some very gusty winds yesterday afternoon. not so much this morning. you can see some wet roads around christmas in the park in san jose. show you the radar view right now, you can see right around the highway 17 summit, this is where the rain is coming down pretty good as you cross over from benlohman to loss gas toast as you get into morgan hill. east bay and peninsula, things have called down. not a lot happening towards the tri-valley and in the north bay,

widely scattered showers moving through. the trend of the day, not widespread rain like yesterday, hit and miss showers at times, heading into the afternoon as the cold air continues to spill in. even lightning in the north coast heading up towards crescent city and eureka. the main weather story of the day, may become the nation's big story is a strong noreaster developing, going to race up the eastern seaboard, likely will see flight delays and cancellations from new york up to boston and hartford, washington, d.c., may get included in this. a little later on this afternoon. if you have friends or family trying to head back to the east coast could see really challenging conditions there later today. around the bay area, this jet stream still aimed across california will see scattered showers off and on during the day today and a little bit of patchy fog in the north bay valleys. if that cold air aloft some of the heavier showers may have small hail at times. things should calm down tonight into tomorrow and as skies clear of all the recent rains and winds back off fog could be an issue. monday a dry day before the next

round of rain drops in on us for tuesday. hour by hour today, widely scattered showers, notice the next main event in terms of widespread rain will arrive as we go into tuesday. the rain starts to fill in for the morning commute and heavy at times towards the north bay as we approach tuesday afternoon. so rain totals for the rest of the weekend, mostly towards the north bay about a quarter inch or less and yes, more snow heading out to the sierra as we wrap up your weekend. today scattered showers, cool temperatures, highs in the upper 50s around san jose and mid 50s into the north bay and we're still stuck in the pattern of seeing rain coming in every two to three days. the next big round of rain for tuesday night and wednesday and for now, new year's eve plans may not to have one of the stylish umbrellas, looks like we might see a few showers as we finish off 2011 already next weekend. >> time flies. thanks a lot, rob. president obama's hawaiian vacation continues today. he will be back in washington by january 3rd.

yesterday he and the first lady met with some marines there. they arrived at a cafeteria on the base last evening. the president and the first lady circled the room, shaking hands, giving hugs and talking to the marines and their families. several times president obama lifted small children into his arms as he thanked their parents for their service and sacrifice. the faa is talking about a new system that could improve air travel. it is called next gen and already tested in four u.s. cities. currently the nation's air traffic is guided by 60-year-old technology with planes flying over predetermined radar routes. instead of using ground-based radar, next gen controllers use satellites and gps transmitters to track air traffic. the technology allows pilots to fly direct routes and that means less fuel used and less pollution. >> it's a system that's basically going to revolutionize air traffic systems.

it's going to give the pilot the ability to see traffic around him. it's going to improve his situational awareness. >> but it is slow going. most airlines complain they cannot afford the millions it will cost to upgrade their cockpits. the faa argues the fuel savings over just a three-year period will pay for the technology. now they're hoping for every airport and every aircraft to be on next gen by 2020. gas prices in the bay area are at a two year e high this morning. the average for a gallon of regular unleaded is about $3.34 a gallon, up about 70% from december of 2008 when gas fell to about $2 a gallon. partly due to the economic downturn. now here's a look at prices as of this morning. in san francisco, the average is $3.37 for a gallon of unleaded. in san jose it's $3.31. oakland $3.30. one cab driver says he's noticed the increase.

>> i used to drive 150 miles and fill up gas for like $30. now you can put like around $40. like $10 more $8 more. it really hurts you know. i hope it's going to go down soon. >> we are still far from the peak price of gas in the bay area. back in the summer of 2008, when prices for a gallon of regular hit $4.50. still ahead on "today in the bay" -- a new congress could mean a new approach to immigration issues. see what some experts think will happen next. that's coming up. >> a very good morning to you. i'm lawrence scott. five games, count them five games, it ten teams in action yesterday. and the night cap was a great one in oakland with the warriors hosting the trail blazers. that coming up in sports. >> this is sergeant brian harriman from bagram air base afghanistan. want to say merry christmas and happy holidays to my wife bonny and son alexander in california. i love you, miss you, and i'll see you soon.

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the nba and nfl did not take christmas off. lawrence scott has the highlights in your morning sports. >> a very good morning to you. hope you're having a great holiday weekend. we saw a fabulous game in oakland with the warriors hosting portland. curry back in action after missing six games. he had 11 assists but four points. we've been watching ellis with great nice shooting. he hammers this dunk. to lead all scorers with 39 points. david lee also a nice night. the drive sets up lee, ties the game at 77. portland back up by six, warriors respond, tying the game at 97. monday bring it home. the steal and lay-up, making a case for his first all-star game spot. the warriors finish the game on a 18-5 run for a big-time win,

109-102 the final. next up the 76ers in oakland. tomorrow night. the warriors part of the fun yesterday. an nba quintuple header in the game smack dab in the middle was the lakers versus the heat with some of the league's top stories. lebron james and his owed to talcum powder joining kobe bryant for a hype fest and the heat able to suppress the lakers. king doing the dirty work, dw s dwyane wade. he bon with a triple double. kobe was held to 17 points and the heat wait beat down of l.a., taking it 96-80. just after the heat and before the warriors, the nuggets visiting the thunder in oklahoma city. the league's top scorer kevin durant with another monster night. with a season high 44 points. as the thunder takes down denver 114-106. the 49ers and raiders with big

games today, both with playoff implications. niners are up first facing the rams in st. louis and then the raiders host the colts at the coliseum. one game on the schedule last night, cowboys and cardinals in arizona. dallas down 21-3, but rallied for a go ahead score with under two minutes left. steven mcghee in for jon kitna hitting miles austin. the cowboys missed the extra point opening the door for this. the jay feeley game winner. the cardinals show some nfc west pride beating dallas 27-26. that is a look at sports. have yourself a great day. there are a few people in the nba who are not happy about all the games on christmas. now last year the league fined orlando magic coach stan van gundy for complaining about the holiday games. now this year, van gundy got a little sarcastic when asked if he's changed his mind. >> i think the nba is so important to christmas, that

what we really need to do is increase five games to ten. and we need to start them at midnight on, you know, what would have been christmas eve, and play them all through the day so that there's not a minute of christmas day where there's not an nba game on tv because it's great. the nba is christmas to me. to me anyway. >> what a little smarty. don't forget tonight it's the vikings and eagles on sunday night football here on nbc bay area. the pregame starts at 4:00. and tonight we'll have a wrap-up of the 49ers and raiders on sports sunday after the game right here on nbc bay area. much more ahead on "today in the bay" -- coming up next at 7:30 a republican majority congress, could change the way washington handles immigration issues. you'll see why. the lights go out in some parts of san francisco.

find out who neighbors say happened next.

good morning to you. creeping up on 7:30 on your sunday morning. a beautiful shot of the bay and, of course, the bay bridge. once again good morning. thank you for joining us. chris sanchez is off this morning. "today in the bay" meteorologist rob mayeda joins me with a look at your still damp forecast. >> in a few areas. the bay bridge shot was interesting. partly cloudy skies there. a few other spots dodging showers this morning. hour by hour as the sun breaks through today, we're going to get more sunshine than we saw yesterday. temperatures not warming up a whole lot. warmest point of the day around 2:00 we should see upper 50s around the south bay and cooling towards the evening. but speaking of the south bay, that's the last hour on the radar loop. you can see right there from highway 17 now joust north of morgan hill, pretty good shower

and light rain around san jose. break in the action in san francisco and towards the east bay. today, still a few more showers and then tonight fog could really slow things down for folks trying to head home from the holiday weekend. we'll have a full look at that and our next chance of rain coming up in the full forecast coming up in a few minutes from now. >> i bet a lot of people will be indoors either at the mall or watching football. >> sounds good. >> thanks, rob. s. new this morning, an overnight tsunami didn't cause any damage in the western pacific. a 7.3 magnitude quake struck off the coast of the island of vanwastu. a tsunami warning went out but the wave only measured about six inches higher than normal. vacationers spending christmas there felt it about midnight. one man says he ran outside after the quake to watch the sea but nothing happened. it lies between australia and fiji. about 220,000 people live there.

today, is the anniversary of the tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people around the indian ocean in 2004. a 9.0 magnitude quake hit off the coast of indonesia on december 26th of that year. it killed people in indonesia, sri lanka, indian, thailand and nine other countries. also new this morning, the pakistani taliban is claiming it's responsible for a bombing that killed at least 43 people and injured 90 others. the explosion happened near a united nations food distribution center yesterday. the u.n. is feeding people who have been displaced by fighting and that bombing forced it to close all its food distribution centers for the time being. the pakistani taliban is denying reports the suicide bomber was a woman. back here in the bay area, pg&e is investigating a possible explosion that knocked out power to parts of san francisco. people who live in the marina district say they heard a loud

noise about 5:40 last night and then they saw some smoke coming from a manhole cover. at the same time, 150 or so customers lost power. the lights were back on an hour and a half later. now crews are investigating what exactly caused the power outage. for those who hopped on a plane this holiday, getting back could be more challenging as a massive storm slams the east coast, canceling hundreds of flights. this comes as americans at home and abroad celebrated christmas in all kinds of ways. brian mohr has a look. >> reporter: from troops on the front lines to traditional gatherings at home, americans celebrated christmas 2010. what says christmas better than surfing santas. 19 to be exact hitting the holiday waves at florida's cocoa beach. >> i think it's pretty cool and funny watching all the santas get knocked off.

>> reporter: in orange, california, these little stocking stuffers weren't delivered by saint nick, but what a holiday surprise. especially for one dad, just back from afghanistan. >> having this little bundle of joy in a stocking perfect right before christmas i couldn't ask for a better miracle. >> reporter: speaking of surprises, mother nature delivered a big one to much of the south. nashville saw its first white christmas since 1993. at atlanta's hartsfield jackson airport, hundreds of flights were scrubbed before the storm even hit. the carolinas were hammered as the snow made its way up the east coast. holiday travel troubles are only getting worse. in florida, catholic charities volunteers helped people who are down on their luck with gifts, clothing, food, and more. >> today, every day, i tell them this is their home, this is their community. they are not homeless. this is temporary. but they're not homeless. >> reporter: the spirit of

christmas one smile at a time. brian mohr, nbc bay area news. the newest members of congress will be sworn in two weeks and the new makeup is expected to shift the approach to immigration. the gop faithful helped to swing the house in the november elections. and a tougher approach to immigration issues should appeal it to those voters. legislation on the interpretations of the 14th amendment is expected to come up. so are attempts to force employers to use a system called e-varify that would check all -- that all employees are in the u.s. legally. cnbc's michelle cabrera takes a look at the upcoming week in the world of business. >> reporter: it's the final week of the year for trading on a resurgent wall street. the dow sitting at a two-year high, the nasdaq at a three-year high. will there be a so-called santa claus rally to lift stocks higher to close out the year? this coming friday is a federal

legal holiday but no day off for traders since it's the end of the monthly, quarterly and yearly accounting fury. all of the u.s. markets will be oep on december 31st. retail sales well above last year's level, bringing a fresh read on the nation's stores. we'll see if retailers can count on more spending in the new year as we get the final reading on consumer confidence. is there any light to see at the end of the tunnel in the real estate market? the case-shiller price home index will tell us what homes in 20 of the nation's biggest cities are selling for. with mortgage rates higher, we'll see if applications will be down again for the seventh week in a row. the demand so high for jeep grand cherokees, chrysler is keeping its detroit plant up and running this week. wishing you a busy and happy holiday. i'm michelle carew sa cabrera.

>> you can get your business and it tech report before the markets open week days on "today in the east bay" starting at 4:30 in the morning. coming up next on "today in the bay" -- getting into shape is the new year's resolution for a lot of people. but what if you don't want to spend the money on a gym membership? find out how to make the world your gym. next. i'm scott mcgrew. coming up at 9:00, one of my favorite people alex bloomberg of "this american life" with join me on "press here" a better understanding than anyone about the economy, toxic assets. we promise we will make it interesting. great guy. joins sarah lacy, and john swartz on "press here" after "meet the press" later this morning.

welcome back. good morning. thank you for joining us. 7:39 on this gorgeous sunday morning. here's a live look as the sunrises this morning. this time of year, many people start thinking about getting into shape. google trend show searchs for gyms spike in late december as people make their new year's resolutions. but, gym memberships can be pricey. so joining me now is fitness expert jill mccall. thank you for joining us this morning. >> good morning. thanks so much. >> you say you do not need a gym in order to get in shape to lose that weight. how do we do it then? >> you don't. you can use the world as your gym. everything is right at your finger tips in the environment you can use. keeping those resolutions throughout the year, there are five tips that i want to share with you that will help you

sustain these workout regiments throughout the year. so first and foremost, you want to remember to stretch. you want to make sure your muscles are warm and not hit the ground running with cold muscles. i have some products i want to show that will be beneficial for you in doing so. so first of all you want a jacket that's going to keep you inflated but not let you overheat when you're out there working out. this jacket is great. it's wind and water resistant, great panelling for breathability and will keep you insulated. next make sure you're supported. get the right support out of your sports bra. one size fits all is not necessarily right for everybody. these sports bras you can find on [ inaudible ] or visit our store opening on january 13th. on fillmore street to get the right support for you. we'll have specialists to help you do that. next you want to prevent burnout. if you're a runner work in a yoga class or pilates or

spinning class or get to the pool and make sure you go swimming. crossfit is a good way to get some -- a little versatility in there and have great motivation. it's really great to get some exercise clothes that are really exciting like this printed yellow man tank top that will keep you motivated and not sitting in your drawer for long it will motivate you to get out and get running. next you want to -- it's all about cross training. if you're out on the run, on a trail, you want to make sure you do some hill repeats. this view is great, great for the road but also great for the trails. it has great stability, great trade for the trail. this will keep you supported but also has guards if you want to go on a trail versus the road. it can go on the road or on the trail as well. and next you just want to make sure that you have the right apparel. it's -- know your limits. you don't want to go out there

and overdo it in the first few months because you're going to get bored and you're going to burn out. so, make sure you have a heart rate monitor that will monitor your exercise level and your routine and it's going to track your progress and so you don't overdo it in the first few months. all great tips this morning. thank you, jill mccall. fitness expert from san francisco. we appreciate it. >> thank you, marla. >> happy new year to you. >> happy new year. still ahead on "today in the bay" -- the national health care reform debate is far from over. political analyst larry gurston will join us. he'll show us what to expect out of the debate next. good morning. happy holidays. i'm mike. there's lots to do today in the bay. just because christmas is over doesn't mean the holiday spirit is going away too. the fantasy of lights in loss gatos is going on. head over. where you can drive through holiday lights and -- don't

drive -- take your car. costs $15, open from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. every night and there are also only two weeks left to go to infinity and beyond at the oakland museum of california. at 11:00 this morning check out the picksar 25 years of animation exhibit. the exhibit ends its run at the museum january 10th. my birthday is the 12th fyi. today in the bay, you have yourself a great day.

good morning to you. welcome back. health care reform was the largest, most controversial legislative change in 2010. but after a 16 months of divisive debates and final passage, the new law ever take place? let's bring in "today in the bay" political analyst larry gurston joins us this morning. thank you for being here. >> good morning.

>> why has this issue been so divisive. >> how much time do we have? there are several reasons here that are really important, ma a marla. health care costs have skyrocketed in recent years, gone crazy. some insurance premiums gone up 30% or more just this past year alone. during 2010, health care costs were 2.5 trillion dollars. that's a sixth of the entire economy. another factor, 50 million americans were without health care insurance until the passage of the new law. their emergency costs were absorbed by people like you and me. so these and lots of other factors have led to the affordable health care act of 2010 everybody has been scrutinizing like crazy. >> yet the law may never be implemented. why is that? >> well, lots of ire shoos here. look, some people are questioning whether this law is constitution constitutional. they believe the interstate commerce clause of the constitution, the part that allows congress to weigh in on everything from trucking

regulations to food safety, it doesn't give congress the power to regulate health care. that's the concern for opponents because at the heart of the law is the requirement that everyone must purchase health care insurance by 2014 through their employers or as individuals. by the way, other parts are of the health care law are very, very popular. putting children under the age of 26 on their parents' health care plans and barring insurers from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions, these are a couple examples that come to mind, people love that. >> you have what's happened so far and what can we expect? >> this is moving slowly. so far there have been at least three cases in federal courts, others by the way coming throughout the nation. in two instances federal district court judges have upheld the law, in a third case just the other day, a judge overturned the law. what does this mean? it means that the health care law is headed for the u.s. supreme court. it may take a while or two, but definitely the supreme court. that's a body that we know has

been very divided, usually 5-4 in recent years. in the end, the court's decision will say as much about the power of congress as it does about health care and the fact is, nobody knows which way it will go. you got to stay tuned. it's a thriller as we say in my business. stay tuned because 2011 maybe 2012 will tell us much more about health care which will put this on the docket for the 2012 presidential elections. >> that's a lot to break down. thank you tore going to that this sunday morning. a reminder you can get larry's political insight on our website, go to nbcbayarea.com and type in prop 0. and here's a live look at the bay bridge as the sunrises at 7:48. up next on "today in the bay" -- your detailed sunday forecast and a look at the week ahead.

good morning. welcome back. what a wonderful way to start your sunday morning. sailing on the bay. there's a live look there. you know what the conditions rob mayeda, you can do that today. >> looks pretty good. a little breeze, the sun is out, it's chilly outside. our photographer erin murphy is probably shivering right now. cold some spots in the 30s and 40s. some of the numbers waking up to 39 in livermore and look at novato, 39 degrees, patchy fog around the north bay this morning. 45 in san jose. and right now, san francisco, a little chilly. 49 degrees as she we show you what things look like around the bay area. pretty nice start in san jose. we just had light rain go through, 45 degrees southeast wind at close to 7 miles per hour. up around san francisco, 47 degrees. you can see still damp on the golden gate bridge and a little bit of a southeast breeze at 3 miles per hour. if you're heading over the sierra, look at the picture sent in by our weather watchers

everette showing you on the other side of the sierra towards the lake there in the valley. a lot of snow coming down. so far maybe getting close to a foot of snow near the summit and we'll add to those snow totals at times as we make our way towards the afternoon. right now most of the showers have been seeing this morning around the santa cruz mountains into san jose. see now moving away from benlohman and from morgan hill to gilroy a few showers going through and seeing clearing around san francisco and towards the east bay. today most of the showers we see as we head towards the afternoon will probably aim on the north bay and coastal mountains. right now things are quiet. we still have this weather system that is for the most part off to the east but we have this unsettled air mass which will continue to drift through during date today. expect a mixed bag of sunshine, a few scattered showers, maybe some hail given how cold that air is through northern california through the afternoon. tomorrow morning no worries about rain but fog could be thick in spots. a lot of rain and then clear

skies and light winds that could set us up for a tough commute around the north and east bay valleys from where the fog could mean highs in the upper 40s and 50s. tomorrow may be chilly around parts of the bay area. heading to the high country today still more snow showers and the next round of more widespread or heavy snow will come into tuesday and wednesday. a look at the wrap up to the weekend in terms of the snow totals, north of interstate 80 will see another 6 to 12 inches of snow as we wrap up the weekend. around the bay area, hour by hour, widely scattered showers, hit and miss, not like the full rain event like yesterday afternoon. then the next round of widespread rain drops into us on tuesday, in time for the commute and then heavier by the time we get to the evening commute into the north bay and dropping through the rest of the bay area late tuesday on into wednesday. rainfall totals to wrap up the weekend. most of what falls uds should fall in the north bay a quarter inch or less. today kind of cool outside, a mixture of sunshine, a few scattered showers, upper 50s

around san jose, and mid 50s around the north bay. tomorrow we catch a break, but that fog could be thick in some spots. we'll have to watch out for that during the morning commute and then tuesday into wednesday a little more rain and then if we had a graphic that said stay tuned i would put it friday into saturday because looks like more scattered showers, chilly temperatures, we'll wrap up this year with highs in the 40s to low 50s and maybe snow levels to near 2,000 feet on friday. talking maybe some higher hilltops around the bay area this week could see snow. >> a wet new year's day. >> not as bad as christmas. but looks like showers later this week. >> thank you very much. with the busy holiday travel season in high gear the rush is on at airports everywhere. planes are usually packed, so what's the best seat on board? how do you make sure you get it? scott gordon asked two travel experts for their secrets. >> reporter: just in time for the holidays airports are crowded, planes are crammed. and many passengers are

scrambling to find the best seat. >> when it comes to finding the perfect seat you don't want to be stuck in certain areas where you're close to the lavatory, for example. >> reporter: most agree closer to the front the better. >> if your owe 'on a 737 at the back of the plane, it could be an additional 15 minutes before you get out of the plane while everybody is unboarding a plane. it can be a long time. it can seem like forever. >> we like to take the emergency roads. that's the first thing we book because the leg room sometimes in that emergency row can be more you'll find in first class. >> reporter: getting the seat you want, being first in line, can be a challenge. the secret can be knowing the different rules. southwest, for example, offers to put you in the first boarding group for a fee. >> if you don't get your boarding pass and it's not in the a group i would say maybe pay the ten bucks to you can walk on and find a seat you want without standing in line. if i got the a group no reason for me to pay the ten bucks. >> reporter: the seats aren't assigned. on southwest the first on board get to pick their own.

would you rather get in a fine middle seat between two people you have no clue they are or peer over everybody and find out the two skinny people to sit in the middle. >> american and other airlines offers passengers a chance to change their seats on-line. the key is going on-line as soon as you can get your boarding pass. i always tell everybody you need to get your seat 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds before that way you're ensured to be in the first group. not only about the seat but having a sea of empty bins when you get on the plane. >> even those passengers who do everything right still aren't guaranteed that perfect seat. somebody's got to sit in the middle. >> all new "meet the press" minutes away. here's david gregory in washington with a preview. >> good morning. christmas week ends with a a flurry of week in washington as the white house scores some important victories on capitol hill. major challenges await the

president in the new year with republican ruling in the house, more republicans in the senate as well. so where does team obama go from here? with us this morning, white house senior adviser valerie jarrett. then taking stock of 2010. our special political round table examines the past year politically and what it will all mean for 2011. it's all coming up this morning on "meet the press." >> we're getting a little bit of a break from the rain. >> today looking at a few scattered showers. watching that this morning around san jose and parts of the south bay and then could get kind of foggy tomorrow morning which may slow the commute in spots. today sunglasses and umbrella day. kind of an interesting day of weather around the bay area. >> a lot of people are like i'm not going to leave my couch, watch r watch football all day. >> we have the raiders got the colts in town. >> yep. >> coming up this afternoon. >> niners in st. louis. >> which a 7-9 record really win the nfc west? they need to win a couple more. nfl on nbc. >> vikings and eagles. did i get it right?

all right. thanks, rob. thank you for making us part of your morning. our next news cast is tonight at 11:00. "meet the press" with david gregory is next. have a great sunday. our points from chase sapphire preferred are worth 25% more on travel. we're like forget florida, we're going on a safari. so we're on the serengeti, and seth finds a really big bone. we're talking huge. they dig it up, put it in the natural history museum and we get to name it. sethasauraus. really. your points from chase sapphire preferred are worth 25% more on travel? means better vacations. that's incredible. believe it...with chase sapphire preferred your points are worth 25% more on travel when booked through ultimate rewards.

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