i'm bob redell live here in the south san jose area, the scene of an overnight fire. what made this so unusually difficult to put out. that story coming up. plus, a former south bay police officer headed to court today to find out how much time he will spend in jail. and new this morning -- another deadly helicopter crash, this one involving the u.s. coast guard. i'm marla tellez. that story coming up. and a live look outside through a splashed-up lens there. that is the golden gate bridge. it is wet, it is cold. brace yourself, it is wednesday, february 29th. today in the bay.

good wednesday morning to you. thanks so much for joining us. 5:00 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. >> i'm jon kelley. we get right to the weather and check in with meteorologist christina loren to tell us, yes, the rain is here. >> which means you want to leave early. already we see a slowdown in our morning commute. whenever we have showers you will have to slow down because the rain is coming down hard in many places across the bay. in addition to heavy rain, we've got gusty winds out there this morning. it is one of those mornings you want to give yourself plenty time and stay alert. i'll tell you when it will clear. then a big-time warm-up headed our way heading into the weekend. let's check your drive. good morning. the rain obviously going to affect your drive. visibility, traction. san mateo bridge over on the right, sign says high winds on the bridge. the camera shaking on the flat

section. imagine what it's like on the high-ryes. golden gate and bay bridge both have wind advisories. you will have to concentrate, wet roads will mean slick on and off-ramps. potential for spinouts. i'll have another one i'll update for folks in castro valley coming up. an update this morning to developing news out of san jose where flames swept through a duplex early this morning. "today in the bay's" bob redell has a look from the scene. >> reporter: four adults live in this duplex or what's left of this duplex behind me. everyone got out yd okay. the fire zdestroyed it. firefighters are telling us this was a very challenging fire to fight. what made this so challenging is the fact that this fire was wind driven. it's been very gusty out here

and it was made worse by the fact that the roof was made of shake. that's a light wood that's highly flammable. those two factors combined made this duplex go up like a tinder box. house was fully involved as firefighters pulled up on the scene just a little bit after 3:00 this morning. you see from this iphone video captured by one of the chiefs just how big those flames were. they knew instantly this fire would require more help. a call went out for a second alarm. while some crews fought the fire itself, others went downwind to make sure embers didn't catch fire on other structures. the firefighters did succeed in that, keeping the fire contained to just the duplex, even though it did come dangerously close to the home next door. >> on the outside it is fine, yeah. everything else can be replaced. >> you didn't have any damage inside? >> oh, i'm sure i'm going to have lots of smoke damage and insulation and all that. you bet. >> reporter: again, four adults inside the duplex that caught

fire. two in each unit. they're all adults, as i mentioned. still no word on what caused this fire. of course once the sun comes up, daylight, they'll send an investigator in there to try to get an idea. reporting live here in south san jose, bob redell, "today in the bay." a federal judge deciding today whether to send a former police officer to prison. ex-santa clara officer clay rohaas will be convicted of passing information to the hell's angels to pay off a debt. prosecutors are asking for three years in prison saying he undermined public trust. a robbery ends in gunfire in oakland after a robbery victim refuses to give up his valuables. police say the suspected robber shot the victim last night on san pablo avenue near 54th street. victim was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to survive. the shooter is still on the loose. firefighters this morning still trying to figure out

exactly what caused a four-alarm fire at a mountain view apartment complex. investigators think they know which unit the fire started but don't know exactly what caused the fire to destroyed 26 units on monday. family were allowed to return briefly on monday to retrieve personal belongings. repairs didn't continue until the investigation is complete. alameda county could become the first county in the country to make drug manufacturers responsible for getting rid of unused and expired pharmaceuticals. supervisors gave preliminary approval yesterday to require drug companies to set up drug drop-off boxes. right now the county uses its money to collect and dispose of expired and unused pharmaceuticals which can contaminate the drinking water when flushed. a final vote will be held in two weeks. 5:05 right now. new this morning, a u.s. coast guard helicopter crash turned deadly down in alabama. "today in the bay's" marla

tellez has the latest. >> reporter: right now the u.s. coast guard is reporting one person is dead, three others missing off the coast of alabama. video just in to our newsroom from mobile shows emergency crews on scene. officials say the chopper was conducting a training mission when it crashed in mobile bay last night. no word yet on a cause. also new this morning -- parts of the midwest on tornado watch. you can see this funnel cloud caught on tape in kansas. officials say at least one person has been killed in missouri and dozens hurt in kansas, all storm related. the strong line of storms has prompted the kansas governor to declare a state of emergency there. an important arrest in egypt this morning in the fight against terrorism. officials say a senior leader of al qaeda is in custody at chi crow international airport. he is believed to have taken over after the death of osama bin laden in may. he's accused of playing a role

in the 1998 bombings of the u.s. embassies in tanzania and kenya. in the meantime, a u.s. official says the pentagon is working to confirm this arrest. >> thanks for the update, marla. 5:06 right now. relief this morning for mitt romney. the gop presidential hopeful won a crucial contest in his home state of michigan and he won in arizona. gives him much needed momentum going into next week's primaries on super tuesday. romney had to win michigan yesterday or face a possible collapse of his campaign. it was pretty unnerving come-from-behind victory. a major hard drive maker in the bay area has been hit with a pretty severe fine. the u.s. environmental protection agency ordering western digital to pay more than $60,000 for improper management of hazardous waste at its fremont facility. epa inspectors say western digital violated a number of federal standards in 2010 when

dealing with the hazardous materials. walnut creek is reorganizing its school outreach program and reassigning traffic officers to put a larger police presence downtown. the police say it will be temporary until the city council votes on a new budget in june. the change is because of an uptick in crime downtown. in january alone nine people were arrested and three police officers injured during a series of separate fights after bars closed. 5:08 right now. want to give everybody a little heads up out there. kind of wet, rain coming down. grab an umbrella. christina loren is here to fill in all the details. >> you might have even had to actually wake up last night because of pounding rain overhead. this morning that rain is intensifying, especially in the peninsula and east bay right now. san ramon just getting slammed. let's zoom in and show you half moon bay, up to san mateo, really heavy rainfall right now.

take it easy on your local roadways if you're headed out that front door hitting 280 up the peninsula. you'll have to drive through these heavy downpours at least for the next 15 minutes or so. now the front is coming through as we speak so we're going to get the most active weather right in the heart of your morning drive. make sure you give yourself plenty of time this morning. in addition to the heavy rain coming down we also have gusty winds out there. we could actually see isolated thunderstorms. hard to believe. but temperatures are mild enough for that this morning. we have enough instability. something else hard to believe -- snow levels dropping potentially to 1,500 feet! now the cold blast is going to move through a little bit later on this afternoon into tonight. it is when that cold air mass arrives that we have the best chance of seeing these very low snow levels over highway 17, the summit. elevation there is just over 1,800 feet. so that could become problematic tonight. you want to keep that in mind. of course if you're trying to gets up to tahoe, bring those chains. mike has a few other driving tips for the morning. >> good morning. yeah, lower those speeds especially those off-ramps as

they make that curvy road because traction is an issue right now as the rain or effects of the rain will play a part in your morning commute. looking here southbound 101 at paul avenue, a new accident reported, overturned vehicle blocking your left lane as are you passing by just south of the 280 interchange. 280 shows some slowing now. rain having just traveled through the area often plays with our sensors. meanwhile castro valley y, northbound 238, truck into the guardrail still a factor as you approach the interchange toward 880 in either direction. westbound 580 castro valley boulevard hydroplaned car that went into the center divide still reported as an accident there. potential for snow tonight but right now we definitely have the rain and wind that will play a factor for your commute all around the way. the bicoastal art thief caught by bay area police is headed to prison. a new york judge sentencing him yesterday hitting him with one

to three years in prison for stealing six works of art out in new york city. if you recall, he was captured last year after he walked out of the san francisco gallery literally just strolled out with a picasso drawing right under his arm, you can see there. he served 138-day sentence and then was sent to new york to face charges. he's accused of stealing $6,000 worth of wine as well from a wine shop just last april. those charges are pending. an unusual surgery this morning by doctors in st. mary's medical center in san francisco. doctors will transplant a mississippi mechanic's toe to his hand. the man lost his thumb while repairing a bulldozer. if everything works out he'll be able to move his fingers in about five weeks and should fully recover in about a year. >> wow. 5:11 right now. new video this morning of the man accused of setting a fire in a public library. plus the government is backing off a plan to require rear view cameras in all cars. we'll have details in a live report. and a possible arrest after a string of burglaries in one

peninsula city. and for the latest news, traffic and weather, come find us on facebook.>> search nbc bay area or our morning show page or any of us individually! love to hear from you. se." "oh, that's nice." "thank you." now, that's progressive. call or click today.

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♪ i say i love you and i'll say it more ♪ ♪ my one and only ♪ oh i can't lose ♪ so don't stop doing what you do ♪ ♪ have i paid my dues just to be with you ♪ ♪ don't stop doing what you do ♪ welcome back, everyone. a good wet wednesday morning to you. taking a live look outside, hp pavilion in san jose. that's where the sharks beat the flyers last night, 1-0. new surveillance video could offer clues in an arson attack at san francisco's main public library. you can see the man who may have started that fire entering and

exiting a restricted area of that building on grove street. police say he may be the person who set fire at the second floor reference desk, then took off. if you have any information about the fire, it is not really a clear picture, call san francisco police. pretty amazing forecast this week because i think you get something for everyone, the rain, the snow and sunshine by the weekend. >> yeah, the two extremes that people are always complaining about. it's too warm, it's too cold, or too much rain. well, we're going to see everything. cold conditions out there. we had much colder weather at this time yesterday morning and this morning even though we are getting straight rain, let's show you your temperatures. it is just too warm out there right now for us to see that snow. but some cities have already reached their daytime high today. 52 degrees in san mateo. you might climb maybe two additional degrees but once that cold blast moves in, temperatures will drop like a rock. we've got really cold air on the way. as the coldest of the air trails

behind the front. right now we're still on the warm side of that front here in the south bay. that's why it is so mild down here. as we continue throughout the day today, we'll see the showers stream onshore. you'll see yellow, red, heavy periods of rain from time to time this morning, the heaviest rain is expected to come down between now and the next three or four hours. right in the heart of your morning rush. slick conditions out there this morning. we haven't had significant rain in quite some time making it very dangerous. as we head throughout the day today, temperatures are going to stay on the mild side, they'll be cool, you'll need the jacket. right now a little bit of a break from the rain in santa rosa but more is on the way. today at 9:00 a.m., getting a pretty good break at that time over the greater bay area but we won't be out of the woods just yet. you see more activity streaming onshore as we head throughout the night and that's when the coldest of the air arrives. at 9:00 p.m. it gets cold enough for maybe two inches of snow. two inches! sticking high atop mount

hamilton. we'll get another cold blast tomorrow morning. 8:00 a.m., another round of rain, little mix of snow and rain on top of mount hamilton and the whole things blows out tomorrow night. we could pick up an inch of rain in the cities that see the most. through friday it will stay cool. but we warm up quickly saturday and sunday. little something for everybody out there but something you want to do this morning, mike -- leave early. >> an lower those speeds. you want to leave extra time, slow the speeds and just concentrate on the drive there because we have an accident here southbound 101. reports of a car overturn on its side or on its roof. don't know. we do know it is blocking one lane. more details to come in from chp. already more detail does come in that there is some flooding reported as well, 101 at 280 interchange, slowing here registering on the sensors, continuing through the area. may not be heavy traffic but it will be slower driving because that's what's safe. we advise that throughout the

areas where we have the rain. having just come through san mateo we see these sensors slowing a bit as well. that's a pretty typical pattern as the rain travels through an area. no accidents or incidents through the peninsula or 101 or 280. volume still pretty light down there. northbound with these speed sensors showing you the limits. watch these transitions especially with typical spots for flooding like downtown. 880 in spots as well. we'll keep an eye on things, so far no incidents reported for the south bay. 15 minutes out of the altamont pass, slowing through livermore. as you get toward castro valley, the earlier accident is cleared but it was due to some hydroplaning. we'll end with this shot with a reminder that the wet roads will mean slicker conditions. a new report out today will give us a better idea of how our economy is doing. for details on that and the rest of the news before the bell, we turn to courtney reagan live at cnbc world headquarters. good morning, courtney.

>> reporter: good, good morning to you. futures right now slightly higher. that means we are poised to add some gains this morning when that opening bell sounds. the dow finally managed to close above 13,000 for the first time since may of 2008. we got there because investors were cheering a report showing consumer confidence at 12-month highs and only prices falling below $107 a barrel. we'll get the final report today on fourth quarter gdp. it could show the economy grew less than previously thought. fed chairman ben bernanke testifies before congress this morning about the economy and interest rates. the dow closed up 323 points. we will open today at 13,005. we'll see if we go up or down from there. the nasdaq adding 0 points to 2,980, adding 20 points. nasdaq 3,000 just within spitting distance. the government is delaying a release of a rule requiring automakers to install rear view cameras in all vehicles until the end of the year. the transportation secretary ray lahood says more analysis is needed. the rule would force automakers

to put cameras in all vehicles by september 2014, though that feature now comes standard on 45% of new cars and trucks. back foup. three suspected peopthiefs in custody this morning thanks to a very alert and caring neighbor. the three were all arrested monday morning after they were spotted allegedly casing homes. a good samaritan apparently saw this going down, saw them knocking on doors at a number of homes near waverly street and oregon expressway an then they returned to their cars. that good samaritan alerted police and when police stopped the trio they found burglary tools inside that car. eight homes in palo alto were burglarized on friday. police at this point have not said if they think these crimes are linked. east bay detectives say they've solved a decades-old cold case. union city police have arrested donald wilson. the 68-year-old is accused of killing a cocaine dealer, then leaving his body in a car back in 1982.

he was a suspect at the time but new dna technology helped police finally make that arrest. it is 5:20 right now. coming up, the bay area city declaring itself a state of emergency this morning. plus apple says get ready -- it is going to make another big announcement next week. what it might be coming up. plus, lots of tech jobs available. we'll tell you where they are and how to get them coming up. ♪ let me get that door for you... [ man ] i loved my first car... sometimes the door gets stuck... oh sure. ooh! [ man ] ...and then, i didn't. um... [ sighs ] [ man ] so, i got a car i can love a really, really long time. [ male announcer ] for the road ahead, the all-new subaru impreza®.

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good wednesday morning to you. look at it coming down. this is a live look at highway 17 at the summit this morning. rain pounding the bay area making for slick roadways. slow it down or maybe take your

time this morning before you head out the door for another cup of joe. avoid that morning commute. 5:23. >> grab an umbrella. there is a fiscal emergency this morning in milpitas. city says it took a $39 million hit when sacramento alleviated redevelopment agencies this month. milpitas can now ask voters for a tax increase as early as june. paperwork to place the item on that june ballot must be submitted next week. apple getting ready for a big announcement, or so it says. the company has asked the media to join in a san francisco conference next weekend. invitation has an image of an ipad and says "we have something you really have to see and touch." apple isn't letting anything slip but those familiar with the event say it is the announcement of the company's third generation ipad. tablet is expected to have an improved display, faster processor and be about the same size as the ipad 2. not everything going smoothly for apple face be yet

more accusations its apps are taking your personal data without your permission. scott mcgrew joins us now. this is a serious problem. >> yeah. there was kind of a trust level there that apps approved in the apple app store were doing what they said they did and not what you didn't expect them to. but "the new york times" this morning says apps are able to upload photographs you take on your iphone or ipad without your knowledge or permission. it's not clear that apps have actually done that but the security flaw allows them do. the "times" actually hired an app developer to write an app that did just that to prove it. it wasn't released to the app store, of course. faigs book will hold an event in new york city today trying to get madison avenue advertising executives to put their client's ads on facebook. as one analyst points out, facebook ads look cheap and cheesy right now so facebook will unveil a new ad system with, we presume, less cheese. new reports say hewlett-packard will cut yet more staff as it winds down its

web os efforts. web oochlts was born out of the million purchase of palm. san francisco is the new hotspot when it comes to tech jobs. mayor and venture capital iist n conway says they're hiring people. san francisco already has as many tech jobs as it did during the dotcom boom. it is set to eclipse that record. if you're interested the website with all these jobs is sfciti.com. did don't to city.com or you'll jet a j get a job at a bank. a massive fire destroys a south bay home. details in a live report. >> reporter: and new this morning -- rain and windy weather has hit the bay area. i'm christie smith. coming up in a live report, i'll

tell you where the wind advisories are as you head out this morning. and parts of the bay area getting pounded by that heavy rain. we'll let you know when it is expected to let up, and then what's next. cold blast, low snow? low very for this time of year. that's all in your full forecast. and that rain having come through leaves us with little flooding.ft i'llding. show you the affect on your commute coming up. hey guys, breakfast!

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what is? now, in every box of general mills big g cereal, there's more whole grain than any other ingredient. that's why it's listed first on the side. from honey nut cheerios to cinnamon toast crunch to lucky charms, get more whole grain than any other ingredient... without question. just look for the white check. wind drives a fire that destroys a duplex here in san jose. i'm bob redell. we'll take you live to the scene. crews mopping up this morning after a massive fire in the north bay. details next. plus, results of the latest snow survey. look at how much more the sierra could get today. giving you a live look outside at the golden gate bridge. one look and you can tell it is very wet. christina loren will fill you in

on all the weather happenings. it is wednesday, february 29th. this is "today in the bay." good wednesday morning to you. thanks so much for joining us. 5:30 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. >> i'm jon kelley. we check in with meteorologist christina loren. you warned us this week to expect rain. here we go. >> most of the moisture though coming through right in the heart of this broadcast. if you're getting ready to walk out that front door, count on treacherous driving conditions especially over our local bridges and through the higher elevations this morning where we have heavy rain coming down. right now i'm going to zoom in to the bay bridge where our own christie smith is live at the toll plaza this morning. rain seems to be letting up at least for the time being. there's more on the way and those wind are really picking up out there, aren't they, this morning? >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you. it is a rainy, windy start to your commute this morning. we do have a wind advisory in effect for the bay bridge and

the san mateo bridge. what happens is as you're driving along, it seems fine, not that windy like it is right now, all of a sudden the wind picks up and it pushes your car. that's exactly what happened to us this morning as we drove our van across the bridge westbound, maybe an hour and a half ago. we noticed that the storm, this rain isn't always heavy. it's light. all of a sudden you hit a cell and suddenly you just can't see so you have to be really careful out there. that was also what we saw on 880 in oakland this morning as we headed out. i spoke with the chp this morning and they're telling me they are starting to get calls out there of hydroplaning and accidents. also this morning we have photographer rob hughes in the santa cruz mountains and he shot some video of a real muddy hill slide this morning. he says it is starting to cross the road there, that mud. this is the stuff you have to watch for as you head out this morning. i also spoke with the oakland fire department and pg&e to see what they're dealing with in

terms of downed trees or downed power lines. they are saying so far not too bad but of course, the morning is still young and for more on what the roads are looking like out there, i'll turn it over to mike. >> as pg&e says, not a lot of reports of downed wires or trees. that's good news. but as folks wake up closer to 6:00 those reports do come in. looking at 880, christie told us about the wet roads and gusts of wind. east bay, east bay hills an across the bridges. san mateo bridge being one of those bridges that has the wind advisory this morning. watch lower traction. lower those speeds to make sure you maintain control and visibility is an issue, too. just be patient this morning. >> thank you very much. 5:32 right now. nothing short of a scary morning for families in south san jose's neighborhood where flames

engulfed a home and threatened houses nearby. "today in the bay's" bob redell is live at the scene. bob, we are hearing this this fire was particularly tough to fight. >> reporter: yeah, because of the wind. mostly. good morning, jon. i just spoke to two people who were in the duplex behind me at the time this fire started just around 3:00 this morning. they say they heard the sound of a campfire. that woke them up. by the time they got outside they were seeing flames. to give you a sense of how fast this fire spread, the fire department tells us they arrived within seven minutes of the 911 call. as they pulled up this is what they saw. this iphone video taken by a san jose fire chief shows the duplex here already fully involved. they had to call for a second alarm. second alarm not only to fight this fire but to send crews downwind to make sure that embers from this wind weren't going to start anything else on o fire. add to the fact that this roof was shake which is a light wood that's highly flammable and you've got a duplex that went up like a tinder box.

it is destroyed. four adults, two in each unit. they got out okay. so did the next door neighbors whose home was threatened by this fire. >> i actually was asleep in the bedroom right next door and my sister was pounding on the door to let us know the fire was next door. so thank god, because i was sleeping right through it. as you imagine, i just grabbed my kids and got pets and got out of the house and here we are. so everyone's safe and -- >> reporter: i asked the two people who live in this duplex if they knew what started the fire. they didn't know. they had a sense that maybe it started in the attic. the fire department right now doesn't know either but they might get a better idea once the sun comes up and their investigator comes out. live here in south san jose, bob redell, "today in the bay." 5:34. meantime fire crews mopping up this morning after a house fire in napa. the two-story home on redwood road was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived around 9:00 last night.

took almost two hours to get it under control. the napa valley register reports the home contained a number of antiques collected by the owner who also happens to own a local antique shop. no one was hurt. the cause of the fire is under investigation. santa cruz investigators asking for your help this morning to try and find three people who kidnapped, robbed and tortured a man over the weekend. sheriff's investigators say the man in this surveillance footage and two friends, including a woman, beat up the victim in a motel room in the santa cruz inn. suspects punched, choked and burn the victim's body with cigarettes to try to get him to reveal his atm p.i.n. number. fortunately the victim managed to escape and get some help. the suspects took off in the victim's red nissan central. if you do know anything about this, you are please asked to call the santa cruz county sheriff's departments. pg&e is still insisting customers should pay for the $2 billion worth of upgrades to its aging pipelines. the utility filed more paperwork this week making the case which

is sure to anger consumer groups. pg&e says customers should pick up the tab because improvements are part of new safety standards but consumer groups argue the company misspent money and should have paid more attention to safety all along. a hearing on who should pay for the pipeline upgrades begins march 12th. lawyers will be back in court this morning in san francisco for their sheriff's domestic violence trial. the judge will hear pre-trial motions filed by his wife. they are asking the case be dismissed and if that fails they want statements many that she made to a neighbor thrown out. if the case moves forward, potential jurors will begin filing out questionnaires this afternoon. the sheriff is facing misdemeanor domestic abuse charges for bruising his wife's arm during a new year's eve argument. a hell's angels gang member accused of killing a fellow angel is expected in court this morning. steve ruiz was arrested friday -- actually saturday at a

fremont hotel after months on the run. san jose police say ruiz killed a fellow angel during last year's funeral for another club member. ruiz is expected to be arraigned on murder charges this afternoon. 5:37 right now. snow pack in the sierra hasn't been so great this season but the state's water watchers don't seem to be very worried. the latest survey shows snow pack levels are just 30% of normal for this time the year, the lowist since 1991. still the state says there is enough water left over from last season to get us through the summer without any water restrictions. the storm we're going to have today hopefully will bring some pack to the sierra as well. >> it is getting wet today. meteorologist christina loren is in the nbc bay area weather center to tell us. >> this is actually one of the more storms we've seen all season long. not only is it cold, it is packing quite a bit of moisture. right now half moon bay is actually getting slammed. we've got a strong line of

showers, heavy rain at times moving through redwood city and all this activity is pushing towards san jose. it looks like as we time this out, talking about pretty heavy showers moving through the south bay in about 55 minutes from now. right as that morning rush starts to heat up this morning. it has been raining relentlessly for the past 3 1/2 hours or so. your highways are nice and slick. in addition, we've got gusty winds out there. the potential for down trees certainly a possibility this morning. it is just one of those mornings you want to leave early because you'll have to fight through traffic, slow moving traffic through these showers. mike, do we have any serious problems out there yet? >> nothing super serious but these minor things get bigger as more folks move through the area and crowds and visibility get to be an issue. we are still following this accident. an overturned car southbound 101 at paul avenue. it has two lanes blocked just south of 280. this is causing slowing from 28. also some flooding in the area.

again slick conditions, folks jumping on the brakes and then losing traction could be an issue this morning. so far no secondary accidents reported. we're looking at 880 northbound at 23rd. a new accident here in the last few minutes. sounds like three lanes are currently block. hopefully that's reduced to one. quickly as some folks move to the shoulder but we'll track that as you come through oakland. no showing showing up just yet. eastbound 580, an accident at golf lake road. highway 17 shows you just conditions. wet and windy, two factors for your commute. >> stay dry. 5:39 right now. mitt romney saving face and coming out with two big primary vic tiz. now he looks to super tuesday. details ahead in a live report. plus, a state attorney general trying to make life easier for california homeowners. we'll have details next. geg in ay adto ask for better ko funning. the new bond measure heading to the june ballot. f

f at bank of america, we're lending and investing in the people and communities who call the bay area home. from funding that helped a local entrepreneur start a business... to providing grants to a nonprofit which offers job training and placement... and supporting an organization working to help the environment. because the more we do in the bay area, the more we help make opportunity possible.

in politics it was a clean sweet for mitt romney but the reality is it was extremely close. tra tra tracie potts is live on capitol hill. >> reporter: it was an interesting night not so much in arizona because romney was expected to win and he won by a larger margin than the polls even showed -- 20 percentage points between him and rick santorum, but michigan a very different story. he won but not so easily. only by three percentage points. romney himself said we didn't win by a lot but we won by enough, he said, and that's all that counts. rick santorum, however, will walk away with at least 12 delegates because unlike arizona and michigan, they split those delegates based on the proportion of the popular vote. the exit polls showed us that romney still had some trouble with conservatives and interestingly, poorer republicans. he went after those affluent

detroit area suburbs and that santorum won unions and he won that democrat crossover vote. he was urging people as you'll recall who were democrats to go vote in this open republican primary. newt gingrich stayed in georgia which is where he hopes to stay next week. super tuesday. ten states coming up. georgia is the biggest prize there. that's his home state. he hopes to win it. and ron paul hopes to make a strong showing in virginia on super tuesday because only he and mitt romney are on the ballot there. >> we of course will follow it every step of the way. public opinion now appears at odds with state law when it comes to gay marriage in california. a new field report showing 59% of registered voters now favor same-sex unions. 34% are against them. 25-point gap is the ranche elar margin in three decades. year california approved prop 8, the margin was much slimmer -- about 52% in support versus 48% against. talking a lot about the rain

this morning. it almost always means sierra's going to get its own dusting of snow. that's more than a dusting in fact -- oh, no -- blew the picture right away. brian, are you there? >> reporter: yeah. we've got a good one for you here. take a look at this, we are right on the summit right there at the rest area here. that is interstate 80 off there in the distance. believe it or not, the roadways still open this morning with drivers taking a very slow ride across the summit this morning with clearly heavy snowfall. you can see the snowflakes and just how hard it is snowing up here. i think it is fair to call this dumping up here in the sierra this morning. couple that with the wind that's coming with this storm and it is making driving very difficult. the snow's so light, watch this. you throw it up it just turns to smoke when you love it. >> i love it! >> that's what's blowing around on the roadway this morning making visibility next to nothing for the drivers heading

across. got to tip your hat to those guys keeping the supplies running across the sierra. but anybody else up here, not having a good time up here in the sierra because conditions obviously very treacherous. roadways again still open, ski resorts looking forward to several feet of snow. that's a good blast of wind right there. as you come to the mountains today, this is simply a taste of what you can expect. this is kind of the beginning of this storm. it is supposed to be like this all day long, guys. >> brian hickey, you are a warrior out there! thank you very much, my man. that is the heaviest "dusting" i've ever seen in my life. san jose's cinquest film festival was off to have very spar clack start. our very own christina loren was the emcee last night. dozens of fans lined up for the

premier of "lady." over the next couple of weeks, dozens of films including a documentary made by children in palo alto will be shown on screens throughout downtown san jose. the lady in red. >> nice. >> scary. >> that's right. you should be. >> the lady is busy today looking at the forecast. >> a word we haven't used this winter so far -- dumping snow. thank you very much, brian hickey. you saw all that fresh powder over the sierra, nevada. some places in tahoe potentially picking up three feet. measuring it with a yardstick of fresh powder as we head through tonight. you can see the heaviest of the rain right now moving through bay area. that's on its way to tahoe. as we head through friday potentially up to three feet of fresh snow. great weekend to use that ski pass if you haven't had a chance to use this winter thus far. as we head throughout the day today, showers right now are at their strongest. take a look at some of these

cells. you see the red and orange embedded with the yellow. that's heavy rain coming down through sunnyvale right now. san jose right now getting a little bit of a break but it is just about 15 minutes away from heavy downpours coming back into san jose. taking you through the east shore right now, union city just light rain but we have some heavier cells now pushing through fremont. as you can see, future cast tells the story for today. by 10:00 a.m. a dry break. if you need to get outdoors, walk the dog, you will have options to do so but they will be limited today. 10:00 a.m. is your first. as we continue throughout the day, intermittent showers, spotty, lightening up a little bit as we head through the second half of the day but then the cold, cold blast arrives. talking about really code conditions tonight. cold enough to bring snow to mount hamilton probably between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. is when we'll see that cold air mass move in. showers tomorrow morning making for another rough drive but the whole thing blows out of here thursday evening. then we'll wake up friday with a clear view of all those white

caps on the mountaintops. that's something to look forward to. we'll have good air quality as well. if you're looking for warmer weather, we've got that for you. temperatures in the 70s as of this weekend. just a little preview for the weekend, you want to hit tahoe? three feet forecast in kingvale. right now heading through oakland, look at the jam-up, north past high street around this bend and extending as far as we can see. because of two accidents. one just north of high street. looks like it is blocking one lane, the slow lane. back to the maps, we'll show you how things shape up. from the coliseum up toward 23rd, a second accident reportedly blocking three right lanes. that's a big issue for the morning commute already kicking in. 580 okay getting past the area and heading to the maze. consider that if you can get over there.

over here to 680 northbound at stone valley road, two accidents in the last 20 minutes here as well. that could be an issue heading to the walnut creek interchange but the commute direction is clear of incidents. both directions showing the speed limit but we'll track it and see if any lanes are blocked there. highway 4 jams up coming out of antioch. slowing through bay point and an accident off 242 could be an issue. as we move past livermore, slowing out of the altamont pass. watch those gusty winds as well, guys. thank you very much, mike. 5:49 right now. the city of stockton is reeling with problems but it looks like it might have avoided a particularly large one -- bankruptcy. stockton is on the brink of insolvency and could become the nation's largest city to file for chapter 9 bankruptcy protection but the city council voted yesterday to use a new california law to enter mediation with creditors. they hope renegotiating stockton's debt will help avoid bankruptcy. a day after calling for a halt on foreclosures, california's attorney general now calling for sweeping new measures to protect homeowners.

a bill of rights will be introduced for homeowners in just a few hours. it wants fannie mae and freddie mac to stop foreclosures to review whether principle reduction is in the best interest of homeowners and taxpayers. the move following last month's $25 billion settlement forcing major banks to help dispretress homeowners. people in dublin will be asked to bail out local schools. school board voted last night to put a $99 million school bond on that june ballot. if passed, the money would be used to approve school buildings and improve equipment. it would cost homeowners $29 per year per $100,000 of assessed value of their home. 5:50 right now. construction on the new 49ers stadium in santa clara could start this summer. santa clara gave its final approval last night to lease the land for the new 49ers stadium. the agreement says construction on the billion dollar project must start within the next 120 days. the city's expected to reap $40

million in rent over the terms of the lease. first kickoff slated for 2014. >> life is good for the 49ers right now. who's got it better? >> you do. coming up, a bay area woman making a shocking discovery. the bank thinks she's dead. her story is next. plus, help is on the way. what santa clara county will soon do about a san jose home nicknamed "the hazard >> " plus, big arrests in the world of hacking. we'll take a look. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today.

mpb mpbls. good wednesday morning. a north bay woman literally trying to breathe some life back

into her financial situation. >> it is because her bank declared she was dead and killed her good credit rating. after her loan application was rejected, pat goddard did some checking and found she had actually had no credit score because bank of america listed her as deceased. not only is she alive, she makes a monthly mortgage payment to -- none other than bank of america. to restore her credit the 58-year-old grandmother says she had to prove to the bank that she is alive. >> i brought in a marriage certificate that showed that he and i were married. i brought in my birth certificate and the request of my husband's death certificate which was signed by the coroner. >> not to mention she has a pulse. b of a says the bank is trying to correct their mistake. until then the widow hopes she does not have a financial emergency. 5:54. clean-up is coming for a south bay property buried under piles of trash. in an update to a story we first told you about last week, the santa clara county supervisors have now declared a home in east san jose a public nuisance.

the yard of the home on south clar clairmont avenue filled with furniture, mechanical parts, garbage piled up to the roof. a dozen accused hackers getting the view of a jail cell this morning. >> good morning. accused of being part of the hacking group anonymous. now this is video shot by spanish police in madrid. they say they have arrested four people there for attacking spanish websites. another 21 people have been arrested worldwide, mostly in latin america as part of a sting operation. in response anonymous knocked interpol's website offline. well, it is the last day of february. a couple things change tomorrow as march comes in like a lamb. first, netflix loses its deal with starz. meaning lots of films, most n e notely disney films, will no longer be available for streeping.

google's new privacy policy that combines all your accounts on google property from gmail to youtube takes effect worldwide tomorrow, though france is trying to block that. bloggest have posted instructns on how to clear your google search history ahead of time if that worriesru you. do you recognize this? >> i've seen that before. >> that's larry. >> do you know his name! very good. it's not been a total secret but bloggers this morning are talking about what is the name of the twitter bird and laura's got it exactly right. his name is larry. after, we presume, larry bird. >> it is larry bird, from what i understand. >> you're good. >> thank you. thank you. 5:56 right now. still to come on "today in the bay," we continue to follow an overnight fire in the south bay. a home just gutted. plus, bay area police department pulling cops out of schools and off traffic duty. we're going to tell you where they're going to head instead. and, heavy periods of rain

moving through the bay area. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren. i will pinpoint the strongest cells, let you know when the rain will let up and what you can look forward to this weekend. nose rainy conditions in effect for your drive but alsotn couple of acctsen making things a lot worse for your commute. the latest coming up. m

flames destroy a duplex here in south san jose. i'm bob redell. we'll tell you why firefighters found this fire particularly difficult to fight. that story coming up. and a wet and windy start to your morning commute. i'm christie smith. i'll show you what your roads are looking like coming up in a live report. and a state of emergency is in effect in the midwest after several funnel clouds touch down. we give you a a live look outside