some sloppy conditions for the morning commuters, too. not as many people out on the roads, but as we go through the day, many people getting out to those shopping centers. it will only be 53 degrees in the north bay, san francisco, as well as the peninsula. i'll detail what to expect heading into the weekend. and christmas day, too. that's coming up in just a few minutes. >> kari, thank you. happening later today, a fairfield babysitter due in court. she stands accused of killing a toddler. the little boy's name is thor thompson. he died last week at the uc medical center after being found unresponsi unresponsive. she violently shook the boy can then dropped him. she was babysitting him at a home on travis air force base in fairfield. yesterday she gave us her side of the story in a jailhouse interview. she says she didn't do. >> did the baby fall on the floor under your care? as far as you know, the baby never fell?

>> bailey claims the boy spit up blood, blacked out when she was driving him home last thursday. an autopsy showed the toddler had suffered a severe brain injury. a possible break in the investigation of a deadly hit and run in san francisco. police are now asking for help identifying an image they say may be the driver's car. this is the image taken from a surveillance camera. police say it is a four-door black honda or nissan sedan that hit a person walking at mission and 26th streets. this happened early friday morning. happened near the 24th street b.a.r.t. station and anyone who recognizes this car should contact san francisco police. the legal battle now take agnew turn. two years after officials first issued her death certificate. the girl's family marine dolan is file agnew federal lawsuit demanding the teen's death certificate be revoked. on vid video conference she still doesn't believe her 15-year-old girl is brain dead.

she lived on a ventilator for nearly two years now. doctors at children's hospital oakland deed her brain dead following complications from surgery dating back to 2013. her family claims she moves her fingers on demand and she entered puberty. but the director of stanford center for biomedical ethics disagrees. he says hormone function is not the same thing as brain function. >> there's no doubt that she suffered from a serious brain injury and she does not meet the criteria for brain death. >> sometimes some hiptholmic functions and pituitary functioning even in patients that meet criteria for brain death. >> he says it appears that her family has not applied the american of neurology standard test for brain death. he also said since this case has become widely known an increase in the number of families challenging a brain death diagnosis. a firefighter is recovering after getting shocked by solar

panels while battling a house fire in san francisco's bay view district. it happened yesterday afternoon on hollister avenue in candlestick park. they say it was somehow because of a solar panel rooftop, although they say they didn't touch it. one firefighter was taken to the hospital after experiencing numbness in his arms. the other remained on scene. crews say the fire started in the fireplace and spread from the chimney to the roof and theic. no one else was hurt. well, some relief for pg&e. a federal judge in san francisco dismissed more than half of the charges against the company. pg&e faces one count of obstructing justice and 12 counts of violating record keeping and pipeline integrity manling requirements. these, of course, stem from the deadly pipeline explosion in san bruno back in 2010. you may remember the explosion killed eightal and injured nearly 70 others and destroyed dozens of homes.

pg&e faces a $1.6 billion penalty. despite the action yesterday, the judge said this has not diminished the searierness of the case. well, check your credit card statements. hyatt hotels has been hacked. the hotel chain recently found malicious software on one of its computerms. so hyatt has hired outside security experts to figure out how it happened and what information hackers might have gotten their hands on. in the meantime, hyatt officials say they're revving up their computer security and asking customers to monitor bank and credit card statements. some sad news now. some san francisco foodies a bit bummed out today. because one of the city's favorite late night diners is serving its final meal. the lucky penny has been a san francisco institution dating back to the '60s. it's been around a lot longer than the target and the best buy across the street. the old school diner for its comfort food like pigs in a blanket and patty melts.

the place isn't fancy, but customers fancy it. >> we started to come and then derek, when he was born, he came. and he loves their -- >> food. >> what kind of food? >> breakfast. >> it's a shame to see everything in san francisco that we knew leave. >> and not very cheerful timing. the dinosaur being torn down to make room for brand-new luxury condos and other retail stores. the lucky penny closes this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. it is christmas eve and the holrush is on across the bay area from shopping malls to the airports. crowds were out last night. aaa says a record 11 million californians are expected to drive at least 50 miles over the next and a half. chp says it will be doing maximum enforcement to ensure safety on the roads. and despite all the hustle and bustle. some people were still able to keep that christmas spirit alive. >> i love the rush. a lot of people, long lines, but

pretty good deals, i think. >> and an extra special holiday season for this couple. our cameras caught this marriage proposal right next to the huge christmas tree in san francisco's union square. so happy for them. i got to say, my facebook is blowing up with a lot of engagements. >> engagements in general. that time of the year. >> time for love. happening right now as she wears her red dress, lefty o'doul's annual toy drive under way. >> your chance to spread some christmas cheer by donating toys to kids in need and our cheerful fellow. bob redell is live in san francisco back from the north pole. bob, how many more toys do they hope to get out there today? >> their goal is to get 15,000 out here, kira and sam. i see fire chief joann hayes wife and former mayor willy brown and they have been doing christmas carols trying to get people in the mood and try to get the word out, again, this is

a last-minute christmas drive. they want to get these toys here in time for them to be distributed throughout the day. they want to get them sooner rather than later. how many more toys do you need? >> we need 5,000 more than the 10,000 we got last year. >> you think you're going to get that goal? >> i hope with the storm going on and everything else. i'm hopeful. please, come on down. bring an unwrapped toy. you don't even have to get wet. hand them out the window as you drive by or go to www.le www.leftystoydrive.com. >> what age group are you needing toys for the most? >> we have a lot of toys so far for the boys. we need tween girls. >> like 10 to 13. >> 16. >> teenager. >> gift cards. you know. those work. >> but we need them desperately and we get them out all day long

and tomorrow morning big drops tomorrow morning. >> i assume you have seen in the years past some of the reaction from these kids. can you describe it? >> it's wonderful. i think you guys will see it today. we're going to go out to the bay view at 10:00. we're going to go at noon over to golden gate. we're going to go -- >> merry christmas, santa. >> he's, obviously, getting ready to take some of these toys out to those kids out there. merry christmas. appreciate it. 15th annual last-minute toy drive here at lefty o'doul's. you heard the man. you can drop them off or donate money and, sam, look at this. somebody already brought you a gift. check that out. i'll be putting this in here for you. and i'll explain how it works. >> i'm quite the connoisseurs, but i think we'll leave that one in the basket for the kids.

i have my own collection at home. thanks for looking out for me. >> little sam brock asks for, what did you ask for? a hoverboard. wearing many hats this holiday season, bob was missing his santa hat, but you might want to grab your furry one. it's kind of cold out there, kari. >> when you have the santa hat paired up with your outfit that is a great fit. chilly and also the matching umbrella and rain boots. a lot of layers needed today because of the very chilly weather. and whether you're going shopping or just staying at home or head out to work. we will have the rain falling off and on throughout the day. and as we take a look at some of the showers rolling on through, it's been especially heavy in the north bay. and that's where we also are picking up on a little bit of a wintry mix and then some heavier downpours in san rafael and also over mt. hammel over 8.5 inches

of rain from the previous storm system and now also some rain moving through south san francisco over towards oakland and also towards hayward. and then the peninsula and south bay, we do have some showers moving that will make things wet, once again. we will have some waves of heavier rain and the rainfall falling through at least early afternoon. and then some of the heavier downpours moving through that may produce some thunder, as well. be aware of that. and then into tonight during the evening commute, we still have some rain moving through. and there may be the possibility of some snow on some of the higher elevations right here in the bay area. i'll detail that and look at what's happening in the sierra, too. that's coming up in less than ten minutes. sam and kira? coming up, the ts making controversial changes that could affect you if you decide to opt out of the full-body scanning machines. plus -- >> the hardest part for me is getting this beautiful wedding

dress in my hands and going, i don't want to cut it up. it's too pretty. >> and, yet, tearing apart a perfectly good wedding gown and finding a new way to use it. the reason this woman decided to do that will make you feel bay area proud. next time you go to the airport,

you'll notice some changes at welcome back at 6:13. the tsa can now force some

passengers to go through the body scanner even if person asks to opt out and get a full-body pat down, instead. the scanner technology improves their ability to detect objects that could pose a threat. this change comes at a time of heightened concern over possible terror attacks. airports probably not going to make you smile this time of year, but this story definitely is. on this christmas eve taking something prity and making it beautiful. a berkeley college student has found her calling in sewing. >> what is sewing and why caught our attention. garvin thomas has her story as part of our bay area proud series. >> we start our story with an unpleasant statistic. the fact that for many reasons one child out of every 160 pregnancies doesn't survive. it is, of course, a heartbreaking event for a parent and the reason one berkeley city college student went out of her

way to bring a little beauty to a terrible situation. >> this one is one of my favorite things. >> reporter: the first thing you should know about allison hampton is she has nothing against marriage. allison is, in fact, happily married. that's husband, don, at the computer. the reason you need to know that. >> here we go. >> reporter: is because allison is about it do this. to a perfectly good wedding dress. >> the hardest part for me was getting this beautiful wedding dress in my hands and going, i don't want to cut it up. it's too pretty. >> reporter: but after taking a pair of scissors to one dress five months ago, allison hasn't been able to stop. five hours every week day on of school and her job and then some. >> the weekends are usually sewing, all sewing all the time. >> reporter: the reason for all

this destruction is what allison is reconstructing from these wedliwe wedding gowns. angel gowns, she calls them. >> taking something that is really old and maybe not even wanted any more and transforming it into something that will really touch somebody's lives in a horrible time. >> reporter: that horrible time is the loss of a child. allison heard about others across the country who were turning old, donated wedding dresses into burial gowns for infants and thought with the sewing skills her grandmother had taught her, it was something she could do. most of the angel gowns allison has made she has given to hospitals to use when needed. so she doesn't know who wears them. that's most, but not all. >> when she was born, she was only 1 pound. 5.5 ounces. but she was feisty. >> reporter: desiree and justin's daughter, jordan, was born four months premature. she survived past her due date,

but not much longer. it was a mutual friend who suggested allison make jordan a gown. >> and within a few days we went to our mail box and there was a gown for her and to know that my baby girl is going to be in a beautiful little gown is something that at least, in my mind, brings comfort. >> reporter: those tears are why allison often sheds some of her own while making her angel gowns. and she believes will power her sewing machine for years to come. >> it just makes me happy to be able to give something like this to somebody who really needs it. >> reporter: garvin thomas, nbc bay area news. >> if you know of someone doing something nice for others, garvin would love to hear from you. just go to our website, n

nbcbayarea.com and search bay area proud. coming up right on 6:18. as we take a deep breath after that moving story. now look at what's moving into the area, which is yet another round of rain. >> this storm system also producing some snow in the sierra, once again. great news. a live look. wow, take a look at that coming down. now, if you want a white christmas and you plan to head to the sierra, well, just pack your patients and some tire chains and allow a long period of time to get there. really hazardous travel. it's not advised that you get out on the roads at this time. this snow will continue as we go into the next few days. but isn't it beautiful? looking at blue canyon. let's see how this looks on the r radar. we have been tracking the snow and storm system moving in. head up 80 and head into the higher elevations. the rain changes over to snow and, once again, we'll see this continuing throughout the day.

so, a snow report. we have 80 inches at squall valley and alpine meadows and, once again, with a chilly temperatures. the snow will be sticking around and maybe even into early tomorrow. on saturday, 25 degrees and those lows, most likely, will be dropping down to close to zero degrees. the the additional snow we're expecting 17 inches and dwtwij bridges almost two feet and keep in mind in some spots like squaw 36 inches of snow just this week. so, the computer models put down 80 inches in parts of the sierra weekend. looks like at this point it's verified. but we may also have some snow in parts of the bay area. head to the north bay and the elevation is at almost 4,500 feet and we are expecting some heavy snow there. mt. tam, no snow there and a lot of rain and then as we look at twin peaks, the elevation too low at 925 feet.

and mt. diablo and mt. hamilton at over 4,000 feet. the computer model is putting down some snow there. that happens late tonight and into the day tomorrow. and for the santa cruz mountains, no snow there. a live look now at oakland. the rain continues to fall and temperatures are at 50 degrees. it's 52 degrees in san francisco. so, some mild weather now. but we do expect it to get much colder once this system moves off to the east, producing some rain at times throughout the day. some waves of it and closer look at what's happening in the north bay. some wet, soggy conditions and some heavy rain moving through san rafael and mill valley. and then as you go down the peninsula and also into the east bay, some rain falling at this point. los altos and sunnyvale. then into tonight, we'll have the waves of rain passing and as the cool temperatures move in a chilly, windy and wet day and

then the snow that starts to develop as we go into tonight for parts of those higher elevations. this weekend will be cool. highs only in the low 50s and morning temperatures dipping down into the upper 20s. another look at the fordaecast coming up in just a few moments. happening today, the north american aerospace command you know that, norad will track santa claus as he makes his way around the world to bring gifts to boys and girls all over the place and as kira pointed out the ones on the nice list and maybe the naughty ones. you'll be able to virtually follow along online through the app and website. the organization has been tracking the big jolly man in red for 60 years making sure that he and his reindeer are safe in their sky travels. >> i just love that you can now track santa on your app. on your iphone. >> at your fingertips. on demand whenever you want it. well, coming up, more about christmas. you can say christmas is coming early for stargazers.

how you can catch a gift of a rare christmas eve asteroid. call it an early christmas

present for astronomers. tonight, an asteroid will fly by the earth. you can call it an early christmas present for astronomers. tonight an asteroid will fly by the earth. you're looking at radar images of it taken by nasa scientists in pasadena. this christmas eve asteroid will pass the earth at a distance of 6.8 million miles. that's the equivalent of 28 times the distance between earth and the moon. if you want to catch a glimpse

of it, no problem. just get your hands on a telescope. it is 6:25 right now. we first told you about this story yesterday, but today it is official. >> musical kind of mood you can now stream your favorite beatles songs. some other streaming services are going to carry the iconic group's music. for fans a long time coming. experts in the music business says the timing of the song actually does make sense. >> the proof, i mean, we knew this already within the record industry. but i think proof to everybody that the streaming services are now on a dominant platform for which people are accessing music. >> i think beatles is meant for most people to listen to whenever, wherever. i think it mean physical i can listen to beatles more often and i'm not restricted, that's a good thing.

streaming started at 12:01 this morn. >> i love the beatles, but now you're making me look like i never even heard of them. that explains why i couldn't do it yesterday. i said yesterday to add the beatles to spotify and i couldn't. >> look at that christmas present crowds aren't the only thing you'll be up against if you're doing any last-minute traveling or shopping today. how mother nature could impact your christmas eve. plenty of christmas cheer caroling and some piano playing. not too late to bring holiday cheer to bay area kids. the easy way you can help out next in a live report with bob redell. got a tip for nbc bay area investigative unit? call 1-888-996-tips or e-mail theunit@nbcbayarea.com. nbc bay area, we investigate. joining us. im sam brock.

=kira/2shot= and i'm kira klapper in for laura garcia-cann and a good thursday morning, thank you for joining us on this christmas eve. i'm sam brck. >> i'm kira klapper. heads up, it is wet on the roads and it it is cold outside. let's check the microclimate forecast with kari hall. >> yes, indeed. lots of layers needed and the santa hat, too. as we take a live look at what's happening across parts of california, we have snow farther to the north and in the sierra.

rain in the bay area. we will see waves of this rain moving through as we go into the morning and early afternoon and then the possibility of some thunderstorms, too. now temperatures in the low 40s and north bay and south bay. 52 degrees in san francisco. not much of a rise in temperatures today. staying in the low 50s withee winds and a few thunderstorms possible. i'll give you an idea of what to expect this weekend as some spots dip into the 20s. yes, more on that coming up in a few minutes. >> kari, thanks. 6:30 right now and happening right now. helping kids have a happy holiday. that's what lefty o'doul's toy drive is all about. >> all about it. live in san francisco where all morning long dozens of people are dropping by to drop off gifts and for many kids in need there, bob. kira caught this a second ago. i did not. police chief was the piano singing a second ago. >> because of the music in here, sorry.

i see police chief and the fire chiefs are here. we've had kids, the palo alto fire department just dropped off some gifts and singing "santa claus is coming to town." i don't think they notice santa is here. good morning to you guys. >> good morning, everybody. >> you're trying to do 15,000 this year and you going to make that number? >> we just heard 5,000 kids might wake up without a toy. we're not going to let that happen. come down to lefty o'doul's. help us get the christmas speart and feel it. >> i understand, a lot of these kids are kids who are needed in the city. and you're going to be coordinating with church groups and certain low income housing areas. i understand the gifts you're looking for, tweens.

>> so, basketballs, sporting goods. anything will help. the tween girls. we don't want to -- what do you think, santa? >> i think absolutely. we have to take care of anything related to the warriors, they'll love for sure. steph curry t-shirts. >> santa, when you're able to give a child in need a gift, what does that do for you? >> well, it makes everything worth while. you know, it's all athe kids and putting a smile on their face and there's nuth. >> www.ystoydrive.com. >> you go online and donate money on this thing called the worldweb. i don't know if you guys have heard of it. the 15th year that they've been doing that. sam and kira. >> we'll consult al gore on that and get back to you, bob.

hope santa brought a whole sleigh full of presents. from christmas givers to christmas criminals and east bay neighborhood is seeing a spike in crime thisdy season. mail theft. recently two homes targeted by criminals who smashed their way through glass doors and took off with jewelry, electronics and even guns. in one case, the grinches tried to steal presents from underneath the christmas tree to prevent more incidents like this from happening. police are stepping up their patrols and free vacation checks for folks leaving home for thedyes. >> checked the gates, doors and windows from when they leave to when they return home. >> police also suggest installing alarm systems to suggest you prevent those break-ins. 6:33. happening right now a fairfield babysitter is due in court. she is accused of killing a toddler. the little boy, thor thompson

died last week at the uc davis medical center after being found unresponsive. fairfield police this week arrested this woman, gina bailey. she violently shook the boy and then dropped him. she's a military wife and was babysitting thor at a home on travis air force base in fairfield. yesterday she gave us her side of the store in the jailhouse interview and she says she didn't do it. >> did the baby fall on the floor under your care? as far as you know, the baby never fell. >> bailey claims the boy spit up blood and blanked out when she was driving him home last thursday. an autopsy, however, shows the toddler had suffered a severe brain injury. developing story right now. we are just three days into winter officially and the season already off to a dangerous start for thousands of people trying to travel across the country. more than a dozen reported tornados have swept across the deep south stretching well into the heart already killing at least seven people. today in the bay barry has the

very latest. >> a rare sight for december, a massive funnel cloud near clarksdale, mississippi. >> 15 houses are totally gone. totally gone. >> the south and midwest edge and under the gun. >> tornado emergency continues for this cell that has been tracking through north mississippi this afternoon. >> reporter: roofs ripped from homes. the same system throwing cars off the roadway near holly springs, mississippi. numerous tornadoes and warnings in effect for at least ten states. >> still looking at that risk of tornado activity but, keep in mind, 72 million people that will still see the chance of some sort of severe weather overnight. >> reporter: in arkansas, soaking rains and high winds pushed a tree on to a house, killing an 18-year-old woman. >> you only hear about these stories. you don't expect you to be in them. >> reporter: the storms brought heavy rains else where in the

south making driving tough for truckers and holiday travelers alike. and in the nation's busiest airports, weather added to the wait. >> been delayed two hours. >> reporter: as millions make their way home for the holiday. nbc news. we have a follow up now. san leandro police say a quadruple shooting at a popular nightclub earlier this week was motivated by hate. two suspects are in custody. police say the men made repeated statements about the victim's sexuality during the fight that happened late sunday night. investigators say then cervantes ordered aguilera and all four are expected to survive. police managed to track a van to one of the suspect's homes and then arrested both men. a follow up now, milpitas police looking for a man who stole an officer's patrol car. this happened early yesterday morning on south main street. investigators say that an officer got out of his squad car

to check on a suspicious van. that's when a man nearby under to the car and drove away. police, though, used gps equipment installed in the police cruiser to track it down in neighboring san jose. officers found the van abandoned or the car, i should say, and by then the thief was on to the next crime. he carjacked this suv from a woman. one of san francisco's favorite late-night diners will serve its last customers today. the lucky penny has been a san francisco institution since the '60s. a lot longer than target and best buy right across the street. the old diner known for its comfort food, pigs in a blanket and patty melt. a delicious place. it's not fancy, but customers love it. >> what kind of food? >> breakfast. >> it's a shame to see everything in san francisco that we knew leave.

as you might have guessed, the diner is being torn down to make room for brand-new luxury condos and other retail stores. the lucky penny closes this afternoon at 2:00. we have the comfort of a lot of people around you this holiday. it's officially christmas eve and, usual, the holiday rush already under way across the bay area from the shopping malls to the airports. crowds were out and about last night. aaa says about a record 11 million californians are expected to drive at least 50 miles over the next ten days. chp says it's going to be doing maximum enforcement to ensure safety on california roads. despite all the hustle and bustle. some people still keeping that christmas spirit alive. >> i love the rush. a lot of people, long lines. pretty good deals, i think. >> and an extra special holiday season for this couple. our cameras caught a marriage proposal right next to the huge christmas tree. in san francisco's union square and hopefully she said yes. >> i feel like she probably did.

her face looked pretty happy. king tides are expected to continue flowing into the coast off san francisco. high and strong. the national weather service says the king tides may be some of the highest seen all year and that means potential flood risks around the bay area. that could put a multi-million dollar development on the peninsula in jeopardy. the rushing waters could lead to pollution in the bay, but officials say they're working on a solution to prevent all of that from happening. the rain is starting to up here on this thursday morning. we can tell from the camera right behind kari hall. you have slick roads there, kari. >> windshield wipers on this morning and umbrellas up. you need rain boots, too. along with your santa hat to keep you warm. as we look at the storm system as it approaches the bay area and already brought a few waves this morning and creating slick conditions. as we go through the rest of the morning. more of the showers coming through. and the north bay we had the rain falling. a little bit more widespread and

hillsburg over towards santa rosa and also towards st. helena. as we go to parts of the dealt and east bay and san francisco. more rain falling there and in the tri-valley. a heavy downpour moving through livermore. that continues to move off to the east. redwood city getting in on some wet weather and all of this will be sweeping through for the rest of the day. and it will be cool, too. with those winds gusting, it will feel chilly all throughout the day and into tonight. but that's just the tip of the i iceburg. cold air rushish in behind this system as the rain moves out. i'll detail that and what to expect it getsold saturday and sunday mornings. sam and kira. >> very cold. thanks. coming up, a 3-year-old girl now hailed hero for saving her mother's life. plus -- >> i heard about a shooting involving a 3-year-old girl over the summer. my daughter riley is that age. >> it's a public service

announcement. warrior super star steph curry teaming up with the best in the nba to take a stand against gun violence. the reason that he says the first of kind mesening is absolutely necessary. a live look at the sierra snow coming down in sheets. kari hall tells us it will be difficult to get there. temperatures in the bay area will be dropping to the 20s this weekend. got a tip for nbc bay area investigative u investigative unit? call or e-mail theunit@nbcbayarea.com. nbc bay area, we investigate. ♪

(vo) some call it giving back. we call it share the love. during our share the love event, get a new subaru, and we'll donate $250 to those in need. bringing our total donations to over sixty-five million dollars.

and bringing love where it's needed most. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. service this morning - after an emergcy a southwest airlines plane remains out of service this morning after an emergency landing at oakland international airport yesterday morning. problems with the landing gear forced this southwest jet to abort its trip to chicago and turn back around to oakland. but it could land, it needed to burn off tons of fuel it circled the central valley for four tense hours. after the plane touched down safely, we spoke to relieved passengers. >> a lot of the time he was crying. people holding hands. everyone was on their phones. so, i'm sure sending mesenings to loved ones. >> i'm still a little shaky and rather would basically go get a drink. >> nice of them to stop and talk to us. all the passengers were rebooked

on other flights and continued to their destination. a south bay city has a new plan to honor a young girl in hopes of sending a message of gun violence. the city of morgan hill will soon place the statue of 14-year-old tara romero outside its council chambers. "today in the bay" ian has more on the city's touching tribute. >> she was 14 years old waiting for a ride home after a birthday party in november 2011 when she was caught in the crossfire of what police call a gang-related drive-by shooting. she died at the scene. i just can't believe that something like this would happen. >> reporter: tara's father, joseph, has spent years fighting for justice. and to honor his daughter. >> it was like ripping my heart out. >> reporter: as he battled with depression following tara's death. he came up with an idea to have a statue made of her spending thousands of dollars to make it a reality. >> it became a challenge and kind of got me out of bed, too. >> reporter: the statue is expected to be completed by

spring, and now the morgan hill city council has decided to place it front and center. right between city hall and city council chambers in a new year yeah deemed the demonstration garden being built next month. >> while it does represent tara romero, it is also a good reminder of any child in our community and making sure that, you know, we are committed to maintaining that safety. >> reporter: the statue will also have a plaque explaining what happened to tara with a hope of explaining a message of peace throughout this city and region. >> i hope all of this has a positive effect on the community. >> reporter: joseph says he is happy that her memory will live on in morgan hill and the city will use this open space to help fill his empty heart. in morgan hill, ian cole, nbc bay area news. it is 6:46. the world's best basketball players are now taking a stand against gun violence. >> the warriors' own steph curry set to air during nba games

starting tomorrow. here is cheryl hurt with more. >> reporter: fans are in the holiday speart and while the nba champions are making their winning moves on the court, some of the league's best-known players are making a full-court press to end gun violence. >> i heard about a shooting involving a 3-year-old girl over the summer stefan curry is one of the league's stars making a personal appeal to stop the bloodshed on inner city sheets. the anti-gun ad will appear during the league's christmas games. a time when families will be together watching professional athletes trying to put a slam dunk on the polarizing issues. >> if you look at the history of sports, it is the place where people who have nothing else in common can have a discussion about things that are really important in our society. >> reporter: the league's decision to take a stand on the issue even caught the attention of the president of the united states. he tweeted that sympathy for the victims isn't enough.

change requires all of us speaking up. warrior green says gun violence is personal and a key issue for his sport. >> a lot of guys in the nba come from the inner city. a lot of guys struck by it and for the nba to take that stand and try to help make a difference. i think that's huge. >> i think the players carry a strong voice in the society that we live in and gun violence is a very important issue and, obviously, hits home to a lot of the people in this league. >> reporter: and it clearly hits home for fans, as well. >> they should, they should speak up and say what they feel. one way or another. >> the psa directed by spike lee and getting so much support. similar psas likely are to follow. powerful platform nba players have, good to see them using it for something

meaningful. steph curry hosted ten kids with the make a wish foundation. all of those children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. got to hang out with curry during the shoot around and posed for photos and handed out gift bags, as well. then later in the day, maybe the best part all of the children got to go to the game, as well as eat dinner with the warriors dance team. >> that is cool. he is such a good guy. meteorologist kari hall joins us now at 6:49 and we're looking at a wet christmas eve. >> yes. it's really great to see all of the snow coming down in the sierra. and we had some great, some very fortunate conditions for trying to increase the snow pack there and, of course, this replenishes our reservoirs heading into the spring. a look now at blue canyon. this is a live shot of it just coming down in sheets. so, if you're planning to drive to the sierra, the chain controls are up and allow double the time that it normally takes

you to get there. this is what it looks like on radar when you see the bright blue pops on the radar. that shows where it is really coming down. so the sierra getting some snow with this next storm system moving in. the computer model shows the potential of about two feet around the twin bridges area and then tahoe city about 11 inches of snow. squaw at 18 between now and earl saturday as the system starts to wrap up. now, you don't have to go too far to see some snow in the bay area. head farther north. bartlett mountain. the elevation at about 4,500 feet and could have about a five or six inches of snow there. and then mt. tam, no snow there but we've had a lot of rain. twin peaks elevation too low and shortly below 12,000 feet and then mt. diablo. no snow shown by the computer models but mt.alten is being

picked up by the potential of some snow and you can tell by the blue shades there that is what the computer model plots and then the santa cruz mountains will have some rain. all because of this very cold storm system rolling through. it is producing widespread rain now for the north bay and chance of santa rosa and farther to the north a wintry mix heading into this evening. but now it's all rain showing by the degreen shades on the radar. and then we also have some wet conditions just north of san francisco over towards richmond and also in the tri-valley with heavy rain moving in and approaching the south, too. highs will only reach into the low to mid-50s today and the the gusty winds it will feel very chilly. rain wraps up later on tonight and some cold air continues but the mornings, that will be the main story. we're looking at some 20s in the valleys and we do have some freeze watches that have been hoisted for bay area valleys. i'll keep you up to date on that and another look at the forecast coming up in a few minutes.

sam and kira? >> thank you. a 3-year-old girl hail adhero this morning for saving the life of her pregnant mom. >> hello. >> your mommy fell down the stairs? sorry. she's got baby. >> yeah. >> you can hear little emma from england telling emergency dispatchers that her mom had fallen down the stairs. her was knocked unconscious and also seven months pregnant at the time. emma amazingly stayed calm knew how to use the cell phone and remained on the phone until paramedics could arrive. this happened last month and while a little early, mom gave birth to a healthy baby boy. just yesterday emma was recognized and given a certificate by the same responders who helped rescue her mother. >> i love that posing for photos she has the cell phone up to her ear like this. she is so cute. well, some more good news. christmas came early for dozens of people in the central valley.

they may have gotten pulled over by the sheriff's department, but they got a nice surprise from deputies in madera county. >> no tickets, no fines and definitely liking what they did receive. instead of handing out fines for traffic violations. those deputies gave out cash. this is a means to spread some christmas cheer in that community. with the help of an anonymous donation of $5,000 deputies pinpointed several homes and knocked on the doors and even pulled drivers to hand out money. >> just a random act of kindness. for the holiday season. >> i'm serious. >> we'd like to give you $100. hopefully this helps make your holidays. >> yes, it will. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> the sheriffs say it's an opportunity to let the community see them in a different light just in time for the holiday. they hope to continue and expand that program next year. from givishe isishine isisi

donating toys. plus, a game of good-byes, kira. raiders fans preparing to say farewell to a silver and black legend. could also be the last game ever at 0.co. that story coming up next.

my name is kieran griffin. i work here at five star auto care in rocklin california. a lot of thought was put into the change to solar and we couldn't have done it without pg&e. pg&e is very committed to clean energy. working with five star auto care we looked at how we could make their business more energy efficient and save them money in the long run. with solar we have saved about 85% on our energy cost. with this extreme drought we're using the savings from our solar system to save every last drop of water. if you are looking for ways to save energy, your first step is to call pg&e. together, we're building a better california. they hope this day would not come, but as we take a live look

outside right now at 0.co. some raiders fans may be wondering, is this it? that is where the team is hosting the san diego chargers tonight. it could possibly be the raiders' last game ever at the coliseum. the team is flirting with a group that wants to move both them and the chargers, incidentally, to a new stadium in southern california next season. any decision, though, is still up in the air. what we do know is this is going to be the last home game for raiders legend charles woodson. he recently announced his plans to retire. the raiders drafted him all the way back in 1998. he is a sure fire, first ballot hall of famer. many call him one of the best defensive backs to ever play the game of football. happening now on this christmas eve. not just last-minute shoppers lining up. we even had one tweet us that she's going to be last-minute shopping today, but last-minute givers, as well. >> we're hoping plenty of those. dozens of people right now in san francisco taking part in an annual tradition. that is where "today in the bay"

bob redell is with the very latest on this event. toys coming out in waves there, bob. >> they are. they've gotten several thousand already. merry christmas to you, sam and kira. santa has arrived and already started to hand them out to some of the kids this morning. but they still need more toys. their goal is 15,000. that is 5,000 more than the toys they gathered last year. tom o'doul. specifically what kind of toys are you still in need for? >> looking for tween girl toys and sports toys would be great. basketball, football, you know, soccer ball. just sporting equipment for kids. older kids and tween girls are what we're really looking for. >> how is this in the spirit of your 'causen? >> lefty is a very giving person. always involved with children and and getting them into baseball and just he was just generous to kids and never had any of his own. just trying to keep that

trutradition alitrutr tradition. >> if you want to come down here. you can drop them off as you're coming down to lefty o' doul's here or find their website and cash always works. they'll give these toys out throughout the day, not just delivering them to kids here who are here this morning, but singing christmas carols and taking them to their homes. even though it is christmas eve day, not too late to help out some of the kids in need in the city. reporting live, back to you guys. >> bob using his considerable poll to get santa down from the north pole for the event. also some rain this morning. >> and the radar showing it is pretty much covering most of the bay area. we'll see this off and on as we go throughout the day. >> that is what is happening "today in the bay" on this christmas eve. we're back at 7:25 with a live local news update.

we hope you'll stay with us. >> we'll just put you in the mood right now. the christmas mood. there is a tree outside san francisco. we'll see you again tomorrow. good morning. . good morning, nightmare before christmas, deadly spring-like storms hit the south spawning a rare, by vicious tornado outbreak. >> it's like ten to fifteen minutes. twisters etching a path of destruction across several states. >> oh. powerful p winds tossing semis like toy trucks, and that severe weather moves east. grounded, snarling traffic the busiest travel week of the year, more than 5,000 delays in airports across the country. airlines now looking for a christmas miracle to get everyone home for the holidays. not so silent night, senator ted