san jose - communications good sunday morning to you. your time is 7:o'clock. you see the temperature out there, 56 degrees. let's get you started right now with a live look out at san jose from our camera on top of communications hill. overcast. it was definitely wet on the roads. if you are heading out, be careful and build in some extra time to get to your des tan nation. thank you so much for joining us. i'm vicky nguyen. let's get a check of your microclimate forecast with vianey. >> early this morning, there was some rain on the roads. the roads are looking pretty slick, and it's going to say that way throughout the remainder of your sunday. here is a look at your temperatures. showers right now in the tri-valley, also out near san francisco and the early clouds

are expected to stick around through the majority of the day. we are expecting to climb into those lower 60s today. it will be a very cool, almost chilly start to your sunday. the north bay also seeing some rain. there's a live look right now, and these are going to be periods of on and off showers. yesterday we had widespread showers. today it will still be a little breezy but not as windy as yesterday. overall we have a chance of some thunderstorms into the evening hours with a possibility of some hail in the north bay, but for now overall it's just looking like that storm system is going to clear out for portions of the day, so right now it's a little cloudy in some parts. but at about 9:00 or 10:00, another band of storms comes in, and that could bring some more rain also here in downtown san jose. so we're going to keep an eye on that for sure. >> we certainly need the rain. it's a nice change of are pace. >> i agree. i personally like putting on a jacket during this time of year. >> yeah. you're going to need one if you're heading out today. vianey, thanks. the storm hitting the bay

area also dumping heavy amounts of snow in the sierra. let's give you a live look at the conditions right now on interstate 80 near castle peak. a winder weather advisory is in effect for it's entire area. this is what it looked like last night. snowplows were working through the evening to keep those roads as clear as possible. traffic though still very slow going on the major highways. about a foot of new snow fell she had. great news for ski resorts. several, including boreal mountain resort in soda springs, are now open for the season. now, some storm cleanup was much needed in the north bay. this is video from marin county where downed tree branches were cut away from power lines. many tree limbs broke off in the rainstorm and some small trees fell across roadways. a high surf advisory is in effect until 3:00 p.m. today for the coastline. the swells could reach between 13 and 15 feet. stay with nbc bay area for continuing coverage of the

weekend rain. download our free nbc bay area app. you can get a personalized forecast and you'll be looking at the same radar our meteorologists use. an overnight crash takes the life of a woman in half moon bay. san mateo county sheriffs rushed to the scene of a car that went off the road and hit a tree on cabrio highway. rescue crews tried to pull the driver from that car but they were unable to save her. sheriffs say no other cars were involved in that crash. the woman was the only person in her car. no word if weather was a factor in the crash. an investigation is now under way. president-elect donald trump is transitioning to power, and as he builds his administration, strong reaction is coming in here in the bay area. the san francisco naacp's freedom fund gala honored those who have made contributions to the community. we spoke with the head of the local chapter. she says trump's pick of alabama senator jeff sessions as

attorney general is an affront to the civil rights movement. critics say sessions has a history of making racist remarks and calling the naacp un-american. >> i think his appointments are reflecting what he promised, and i think it's going to mean some very bad times for people like us in the civil rights and justice movement. >> yesterday trump met with more than half a dozen people. among them rival mitt romney, the former massachusetts governor. romney has been mentioned as a possible pick for secretary of state. today mr. trump is expected to meet with new jersey governor chris christie and former new york mayor rudy giuliani. also meeting with mr. trump this weekend, sacramento's first lady michelle ree along with her husband mayor kevin johnson. she's said to be on the short list as secretary of education. they discussed a variety of topics including the possibility of merit pay for teachers who go above and beyond in their classrooms. meanwhile, protests against

donald trump continue around the country. in the bay area a few hundred people marched in the financial district. at one point they spread out a parachute and sat around it blocking traffic. it may for a very rough go for commuters but police say the protest did remain peaceful. new details now on a deadly plane crash near half moon bay. we have learned the woman who was killed is from sacramento. melissa mcgee died friday after the cessna 175 plane that she was in crashed into a home. the pilot was mcgee's husband. he was injured. a friend of the family told the sacramento bee the couple decided to fly to half moon bay to enjoy the weather. the cause of that crash is still being investigated. now, a series of thefts at a berkeley apple store has police stepping up patrols. the store is part of the shopping area on 4th street. it has been robbed three times in recent weeks. the thieves come in wearing hoodies while the store is open. they grab as much as they can, and they run. >> we are working with apple as

well as the business district on 4th street to see what we can do to stem that type of crime. >> it's kind of shocking because it's like this is a nice area. i come here all the time. i have never heard anything like that, and like i've never been frightened to shop down here so it's kind of disturbing. >> because of the holidays police are increasing patrols at shopping areas on college, stat tuck and university. >> shoppers in the south bay are already facing some serious gridlock at a popular mall. some customers at west field valley fair complained it took them three hours just to get out of the parking garage. here is "today in the bay's" marianne favro. >> reporter: when glen woodson came to westfield valley fair mall, this is what he found. gridlock in the newly redesigned parking structure and this was his view for the next hour and a half until he parked. >> and the traffic now backs up so far that it now backs up into the parking garages themselves,

and at that point people can't move around, and it has caused total gridlock. >> reporter: but for most people the real frustrations came when they tried to leave the mall and found themselves stuck in traffic in the parking garage. some e-mailed us and said they waited for more than three hours to get out. glen says he met one family who finally gave up. >> and they got stuck in traffic for 2 1/2 hours. they finally abandoned their car and went to uber and took uber home and they're going to pick up their car tomorrow. >> reporter: we talked to employees who said mall management instructed them to park on the upper levels of the parking structure, which some shoppers speculate may have added to the gridlock. now, some, including glen, are reconsidering returning to the mall this holiday season. >> and after today's disaster, i don't think i want to waste my time that i have with my family sitting in a parking garage. >> reporter: marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >> much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, a troubling incident

involving the family of a slain northern california soldier. why his family says they were booed as they walked off a flight. and call it a facebook fake news crackdown. the changes the social media site is now making after critics claimed bogus stories may have affected the election. and call it a facebook fake

your name now is 7:10. let's take you outside live. another look at san jose right now. still very gray skies out there. we're going to have pretty much a wet weekend and a lot more rain ahead. vianey will be back with us with a closer look at your microclimate forecast in just a bit. the father of a california soldier recently killed in afghanistan is speaking out this morning after his family was booed on a flight. the stockton family was traveling to receive john perry's remains on monday when a delay made the family's connecting flight very tight,

the fly crew asked everyone to stay seated so that, quote, a special military family could get off the plane first. several people in first class apparently decided to boo. perry's father said he feels hurt and disrespected by what happened. perry died earlier this month in an ied blast inside bagram's airfield. ai crackdown is coming on fake news on facebook. mark zuckerberg announcing a fix. "today in the bay's" rick boone explains how facebook is about to change. >> reporter: in wake of the election, facebook's big nefake because problem has drawn national attention. headlines like this, pope francis endorses trump, causing serious concern. >> we have a fundamental choice in how we choose to address this inequality. >> reporter: ceo mark zuckerberg installing blockers to slow the surge of false stories.

new tools to detect and classify this material creating warning labels on any questionable story being posted and reorganizing its advertising policies attached to fake news. >> typically they would run on the web and then there with be links to them on facebook and twitter. >> reporter: a host of writers like paul hoarder is the mastermind. >> admitted to "the washington post" that he created all these fake stories for money because he sold advertising around them. >> reporter: and experts say even though it's info is false, writers still aren't breaking the law. rick boone, nbc bay area news. coming up, how you can help feed the less fortunate this holiday season. plus an update on the cleanup of that massive sea of foam at the airport. live pictures showing some showers over san francisco. right now a nice, cool, chilly start. 57 degrees. find out if this rain will be sticking around for the upcoming

workweek in just a bit. [burke] hot dog. seen it. covered it.

we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

all right. your time now 7:14. another beautiful shot out there at san jose from communications hill. make sure you bring a rain jacket and an umbrella out with you today. the showers will be falling pretty much all over the bay area. well, it was a crazy sight. this giant foam blob took over part of the san jose airport and it took social media by storm as video of this foam blob quickly went viral. this weekend the cleanup continued. this is what the mess looked like yesterday, not nearly as bad but there's still residue in the streets and in the trees. this spill happened after a fire suppression system malfunctioned inside an airplane hangar and sent fire retardant everywhere. look at this photo. a mercedes parked in the foam's path now covered in a sticky white mess. getting into the holiday spirit one bag at a time.

nbc bay area is teaming up with safeways across the bay area for our annual food drive. it is a community wide effort to help feed those who would otherwise go without. "today in the bay's" laura malpert explains how easy it is for you to help. >> reporter: shoppers at bay area safeways likely saw this, community volunteers and familiar nbc bay area faces greeting customers. >> how are you this morning? >> reaching out. in hopes others will reach out to help the hungry. >> we love getting out there in the community. >> reporter: for wanda stiles with the kiwanis club, the need hits home. >> i know what it's like to be there so i want to give back. i want to make it so it's not so hard on other people and their families to get food. >> reporter: that's why she's dedicated to feed the need, a one-day food drive hosted by nbc bay area and safeway benefiting seven local foot bank approximates. >> this is one of our biggest

weekends of the year. all the support we're getting today and throughout the holiday season will come back to our food bank and food banks across the bay area to serve families in need during the holidays and throughout the year. >> reporter: giving back is easy. remove a flyer from the tear pads found in the store's display area. give it to the clerk at the register, and for $10 you can buy a bag filled with food. >> every year the need we see gets higher and higher, and these items help provide food to those families to make their holidays a little bit brighter. >> everyone can make a difference. help feed the need. >> reporter: shoppers like neil canon and his family are happy to make a difference. >> i think it's really important to do something for the people, right? it's the time of the year when the less fortunate ones, you know, we need to help them out. so just want to do something nice. >> and that was laura malpert reporting. at last count the tally was nearly 19,000 bags of food donated so far. for more information on the feed

the need food drive go to nbcbayarea.com and look for the link on the home page. let's bring back vianey now. she has a check of the weekend forecast and it looks like we will see pretty much gray skies and showers for the rest of the day. >> it will stay prot everycast. yesterday we saw the rain but that don't stob anybody from coming out in the slar location. i want to thank everybody who came out to the safeway and joined us in helping feed the need, especially around this holiday season. those early morning slouclouds look alogical overcast, they're not going anywhere. 56 degrees right now on the peninsula. out near san francisco still seeing those light showers and that drizzle. also out near the north bay and this is really just going to stick around for the majority of the day. we have a line of showers sitting offshore. overall your 24-hour rain totals, well, they were pretty good in the north bay, anywhere between 2 to 3 inches. out here in oakland, 38. and in san jose, well, not even

a tenth of an inch. but have no fear, it looks like we have a pretty active weather pattern coming up in this workweek which will give us another chance for some rainfall. if you're wondering about thanksgiving. i have that in a bit. we're going to remain in the 60s today. san francisco, 63. out near san jose, 65. and out near napa, 62 degrees. so it's going to be a nice little fall transition. now, we are going to have moments of break in terms of the showers, but by about 9:30, 10:30 a.m., we are seeing another line of storms that's going to push on through the bay area, and that's going to bring a better chance for some more rain down to palo alto and san jose by about 2:30. so if you're going to be out on the roads around that time, please make sure to be extra careful. by around 6:30 our time line is showing a break in that rain with more of those storms pushing more along the northern part, but into the overnight hours looking ahead into monday's forecast we do have a few more stragglers that could

bring the possibility of some early morning rain. we are expecting some patchy foog in tfog in the early morning areas. along the coastline we are tracking the possibility of a few thundershowers that could bring the possibility of some hail, which means we are under a high surf advisory until 3:00 p.m. we're seeing some pretty call waves out there, 16 feet right now, and it is expected to remain in effect until 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. if you had plans to head out to the beach, you might want to hold off. it's a little chilly. speaking of chilly, we have a winter weather advisory and i'm sure all the resorts are enjoying all the snow that fell overnight. we are going to remain in effect in terms of the winter weather advisory until about 4:00 p.m. today. anywhere between 6 to 12 inches above 6,000 feet and 1 to 2 feet above 7,500 feet. so definitely a good snowfall in terms of the amounts. now, your microclimate forecast for today, overall south bay, even out to the east bay and along the peninsula and san francisco, the temperatures aren't going to vary by much.

we'll keep the 60s in the forecast through the upcoming workweek ahead as well. the north bay, 63 degrees. if you are expecting estimated rain totals, they're not going to be very significant today, but if you are heading to the game, the niners game, please bring your rain gear. i don't know if they allow umbrellas. i don't think so. most stadiums don't. just make sure to pack that extra rain coat. in the garage maybe pull it out. i hope you don't put it away. look at the seven-day forecast. monday, a.m. fog. early morning showers. by tuesday and wednesday it's rain chances stick around and thanksgiving day, unfortunately, it looks like a storm system could bring the possibility of some evening rain, but the good news is everybody is typically indoors enjoying some good food, so we're not going to worry too much about the outdoors. i'll send these back to you. >> thank you. "today in the bay" is back in just a moment. and coming up -- >> there's a certain point where you realize that if you want to be happy, you have to start making other people happy and, you know, that's the point. >> giving back by racing to the finish line.

a food drive competition on wheels is part of our "bay area proud" series. stay with us. traditions that have been around

time now 7:24. the holiday season is full of traditions that have been around for years, but two bay area passions, cycling and helping others, are combining to form a new tradition. "today in the bay's" garvin toms has this morning's "bay area proud." >> erin dorsey is pretty straightforward as to why she loves cycling. you get on a bike and you feel good, she says. now getting on a bike to make others feel good, well, that's a "bay area proud." >> do not trample the children. they're too cute. >> reporter: you are watching the start of something new literally. the start. >> one, two, three, go! >> reporter: now to explain just where these people are off to, let's first meet the person who brought them together and ask why. >> really i think there's a

certain point where you realize if you want to be happy you have to start making other people happy and, you know, that's the point. i'm going to save the manifest because they have the name on it and we're also going to use thoses a ralph tickets. >> erin dorsey is relatively new to the bay area arriving from new hampshire back in february looking to shake things up in her life. >> i was at that point where i wanted to get up and move and try something new. >> reporter: there was one thing however, something not new to erin, that she wanted to keep doing. an event started on the east coast called cranksgiving. part bike race, part scavenger hunt. it's a way to collect food donations for the hungry during the holiday season. erin had participated in the one in boston and was hoping to join one in the south bay, except it didn't exist. so she decided to start it. >> i just kind of walked up and said i have this idea, i want to do this. the number of people out there who were like i want to do it too or what can i do to help you, that makes me just so

happy. >> reporter: 65 bike riders showed up for the first annual cranksgiving san jose on sunday. given a list of stores and a list of items the second harvest food bank needed, the group criss-crossed the city bringing donations by the basket full. >> we have more riders coming in! >> reporter: to the finish line at hub's coffee. in the end enough food for more than 700 meals made its way into the collection bin. >> we have another heavy hauler! >> reporter: a great start to what erin hopes will be a yearly south bay tradition gathering food for the needy, having fun all the way. cranks giving has been around in new york city since 1999 and spread to many other cities around the country. what erin has heard though is after the first year, well, it grows exponentially.

garvin thomas, nbc bay area news. up next on "today in the bay," this is not just any nasa launch. what's on board could change what we know about weather patterns. the u.s. post office would give a total stranger my mail. >> an empty mailbox. the newest clue criminals are after for your identity. a warning for us and some tough questions for the postmaster.

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san jose - from communications your time now is 7:29. good sunday morning. a live look outside right now at san jose from our camera atop communications hill. the sun is coming out, looking a little less gray out there but it still is going to be a wet one. good morning and thank you for waking up with us. i'm vicky nguyen. let's get a check of the microclimate forecast with vianey arana. >> it's been a soggy weekend and

especially if you don't like the cold temperatures. well, an air mass has been keeping it chilly out there, and it's expected to stick around for the really upcoming workweek ahead. i want to remind folks we are still under that winter weather advisory. if you had plans to head to tahoe, they have seen some serious snowfall, which is great for the resorts and, of course, if you like the snow, snowboarding and all that good stuff. they've got between 6 and 12 inches above 6,000 feet and they're expecting 1 to 2 feet above 7,500 feet, but out in san francisco seeing that overcast, foggy skyline, 57 degrees right now. light winds. not as windy as yesterday. that wind advisory is no longer in fekd oeffect. we should be warming up but not by much. we will remain in the 60s for the majority of the day with the rain scattered all day long into the evening, overnight hours which leaves the question are we expecting rain for monday? i'll have that coming up. >> that's quite a tease. vianey, thank you. that storm hitting the bay

area is also dumping heavy amounts of snow in the sierra, as vianey was talking about. a winter storm advisory in effect. let's give you a live look at the conditions on interstate 80 near castle peak. a winter weather advisory is in effect so be careful out there. we want to show you what it looked like last night. snowplows working throughout the night. traffic is slow going on the major highways. the sierra received about a foot of new snow yesterday. it's great news for ski resorts. several resorts, including boreal mountain resort in soda springs, are now open for the season. you're watching storm cleanup in the north bay. this is video from marin county where crews cut down tree branches away from power lines. many tree limbs broke off in the rainstorm and some small trees fell across roadways. a high surf advisory is now in effect until 3:00 p.m. for the coastlines. they are expecting waves out

there between 13 and 15 feet. you can stay with nbc bay area for continuing coverage of the weekend rain. download our free nbc bay area app for a personalized forecast and to take a look at the same radar that our meteorologists use. an overnight crash takes the life of a woman in half moon bay. san mateo county sheriffs rushed to the scene of a car that went off the road and hit a tree on cabrio highway. rescue crews tried to pull the driver from that car, but they were unable to save her. sheriff's deputies say no other car was involved in the crash, and the woman was the only person in the car. no word if wloo weather was a f in that crash. an investigation is now under way. president-elect donald trump is transitioning to power, and as he builds his cabinet, strong reaction is coming in here in the bay area. the san francisco naacp's freedom fund galla honored those who made contributions to the community. we spoke with the head of the

local naacp chapter. she says trump's pick of alabama senator jeff sessions as attorney general is an affront to the civil rights movement. critics say sessions has a history of making racist remarks and calling the naacp, quote, un-american. >> i think his appointments are reflecting what he promised, and i think it's going to mean some very bad times for people like us in the civil rights and justice movement. >> yesterday trump met with more than half a dozen people. among them his former rival mitt romney who was the governor of massachusetts. romney has been mentioned as a possible pick for secretary of state. today mr. trump is expected to meet with new jersey governor chris christie and former new york mayor rudy giuliani. also meeting with mr. trump this weekend, sacramento's first lady michelle ree along with her husband mayor kevin johnson. she's said to be on the short list for secretary of education. she and mr. trump discussed a variety of topics, including the

possibility of merit pay for teachers who go above and beyond in their classrooms. president obama urged leaders at the asia pacific economic summit in peru not to, quote, assume the worst about the incoming trump administration. in particular when it comes to trade deals. nbc's ron allen is traveling with the president on his last foreign trip while in office. >> reporter: president obama has spent a lot of time during his administration focused on the asia-pacific rim so no surprise his last foreign ends here in peru at an economic summit with a number of american allies. the president, of course, was asked a lot about donald trump, what his administration will mean to america and its partners here around the world. the president taking a philosophical view of this saying that not to assume the worst. >> wait until the administration is in place, it's actually putting its policies together, and then you can make your judgments. >> reporter: the president saying there's a big difference between campaigning and governing. in this part of the world the

big issue, of course, is trade. mr. trump has said that he is against the transpacific partnership deal, the big trade agreement that the sniments is trying to work out with many nations in this part of the world. the president-elect has also said very aggressive things about china. mr. obama taking a philosophical approach saying he's committed to a successful transition of power. also here we expect that the president might meet with russian leader vladimir putin. issues like syria might come up as well as the allegations of hacking into america's reaction. now back to you. >> thats was nbc's ron allen. back here at home nbc bay area responds to a woman who says the post office is putting people at risk for identity theft. she also says the post office isn't doing anything to stop it. it could be a new twist on an old scam. here is consumer investigators chris chmura. >> our mailboxes are stuffed

this time of year. so if your mailbox is suddenly empty, your reaction might be relief, but it shouldn't be. a thief might be stealing your identity. the woman you're about to meet had an empty mailbox and she says it's a warning for everyone. >> reporter: first, it was an e-mail from a credit card company confirming an application she hadn't submitted. >> you applied for a credit card. >> reporter: then a suspiciously empty mailbox. >> well, i hadn't gotten mail for a while. >> reporter: renee suspected the two were connected and someone was tampering with her identity. >> this is not a small thing. it's a big thing. it's fraud. >> reporter: but how? a call to the local post office connected the dots. the trail pointed to her mail. >> they said you put a hold on it. i did not. >> reporter: they produced mail hold request. someone submitted the form on the postal service website. that person's intent was then clear. the thief applied for a credit

card using her name, held her mail until the car would arrive. then planned to pick up the mail at the post office where the soon to be stolen credit card would be waiting. luckily renee intercepted the scam before it played out. >> they're allowing fraud to happen. >> reporter: she was shocked by the post office's lack of security. >> the u.s. post office would give a total stranger my mail. >> reporter: we were also surprised how easy it is. anyone can logon to the usps website, hold your mail, then go pick it up. you don't grant permission, you don't get notice. you don't have a clue until you're a victim. >> what has happened here is a federal crime. >> reporter: jeff fitch is a postal inspector, a federal agent who investigates postal crime. people across the country are duped by the same scam. he said he's warned the postmaster general that the mail hold feature needs tighter security. >> we work with the main post office assessing security and looking at what can be upgraded

or what's actually going on, what can be tightened up. >> reporter: so what is the postmaster general doing to prevent this particular flavor of fraud? nothing yet. in a statement, the postal service acknowledged instances of fraud taking place using mail hold and said it regrets the inconvenience. it went on to say the postal service is working on viable solutions to prevent and reduce fraud via online mail hold. >> renee says that response isn't good enough. one possible solution is simple. >> that they verify that the person who put the mail on hold had the homeowner's approval to do it. >> reporter: when you move and submit an address change through the postal service website, security measures confirm it's genuinely you requesting the change. that tells us stricter security is possible. it's just not a step the postal service has taken when you hold your mail. jeff fitch, the postal inspector, pointed out the importance of keeping an eye on your mail.

if your mail box is empty for a couple days, call the post office. inspector fitch also wants you to report any mail fraud. the number is on your screen right now and will also be on our website. that's nbcbayarea.com/responds where you can send us tips or you can call us if you wish. the number is 888-996-tips. back to you. well, if you have a consumer complaint, please call us. 1-888-996-tips, or visit nbcbayarea.com/responds, and that team is excellent. a satellite poised to revolutionize storm tracking has been launched into space. the world's most advanced weather tracking satellite lifted off last night from cape canaveral. nasa says the satellite will produce images of developing storms faster than any other so far. it will help scientists give warnings. scientists and engineers at the lockheed martin advanced

technology center in palo alto worked on some of the technology. coming up, a record-setting performance in the big game. and the warriors go for a seventh straight win in milwaukee. sports highlights are next. cal and stanford had the same

the 119th big game between cal and stanford had the same outcome the previous six did. a stanford victory, but it was a performance for the ages that is grabbing the headlines. stanford's christian mccaffrey rushed for a big game record of 284 yards, and he scored 3 touchdowns. this 90-yard run came in the third quarter. the baerears stayed close. the cardinal just too much in the end. stanford beats cal 45-31 and they keep the axe for another year. the warriors looking to extend their winning streak to seven games in milwaukee taking on the bucks. kevin durant helps them take a

big third quarter lead and he led the team in scoring with 33 points. the bucks made a late comeback but cogolden state was able to hang on and win. to boston, one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year. two undefeated fighters faced off last night in las vegas. oakland's own andre ward and sergei kovalev traded punches for the world lightweight championship belt. ward knocked down in the second round but he got back up and he won a unanimous decision. still to come on "today in the bay," how could hillary clinton get upwards of 2 million more votes than donald trump and still lose the presidential election? political analyst larry gerston joins us live to explain that tricky thing called the electoral college. this morning we're talking

electoral college...and thos your time now 7:45 and this morning we are talking electoral college and thes a pros and conf

a system that dates back to the framers of our constitution. while donald trump defeated hillary clinton by winning the necessary 270 electoral votes, he's likely to trail her in the number of votes cast overall by about 2 million. nbc bay area political analyst larry gerston joins us. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's talk about the way this system works. we've heard a lot about it in the days after the election but you will break it down for us. >> it's truly an oddity. one of the real oddities of american politics. let's do a quick review first of the electoral college. there are 538 electors. 100 for the number of senators, 435 for the number of representatives. 3 for the district of columbia. each state has electors to the number of senators and representatives. so california, the most populated state, gets 55 electors, while alaska with the smallest population gets 3. now, that adds up to that 538 figure. but according to the

constitution the candidate who gets one more than half, that 270 number we talked about, wins the presidency. >> it's a basic question and one i think half the country was asking right after the results came in which is why? why do we have this system? >> you know, it goes back to the framers. it's hard to think about it but it is. it goes back to the framers who established the electoral college for two reasons really. first, they didn't believe in the public's judgment so they created a format for people to choose electors in their states who would then be guided by the outcomes. and, second, the framers worried about territory as well as population. that's allowed what we call overrepresentation for the less populous state. look at alaska, 582,000 residents. they get three electors. two for the senators, one for the member of the house. california with more than 38 million residents, we get 55. but if you divide a state's population by its electors, alaska has more than three times as much clout as california and there goes the oddity.

>> tell people how trump could win the electoral vote but not the popular vote, and also how few times this has actually happened in history. >> that's what had people skr scratching their heads. it has to do with the voters within each state. california gave clinton about 5 million more votes than trump. now, remember california has got that 55 electoral vote number. now, trump carried three states, michigan, pennsylvania, wisconsin, by about 55,000 votes. together they had 46 electoral votes, almost as many as california. so simply put, clinton wrapped up huge margins in many of her states along the coasts while trump eked out those close wins in many of his states, and that allowed clinton to, yes, win 2 million more votes nationally than trump while losing the electoral college. it's only the fifth time, vicky, only the fifth time that that's occurred. once in 2000, bush/gore, three

times in the 1800s. >> it seems every time we have close elections like this one there are calls to dump the system like there were back with gore/bush. people want a simpler s er systd imagine how different the campaign system would be in a state like california. it's a blue state, historically blue state. we don't get to see the candidates that much, but if you're competing for each person's vote, maisch it changes the story. >> you're right, it might be more direct. that's what we're talking about, making it direct, but you would certainly get a fight from the less populated states. that change could occur only through amending the u.s. constitution. that takes a two-thirds vote in each chamber of congress and approval by three-fourths of the states. so the odds of that happening are between slim and none and you know where slim went. >> to donald trump's side. short of amending the constitution, is there anything that can be done as far as having the vote become more

reflective of how people feel? >> yeah. there is something. two states already, maine and nebraska, award an electoral vote to each congressional district while giving their two other electoral votes to the overall winner. that last happened in 2008 when barack obama cleverly won a vote in nebraska, a district that was very populated by college students, and so he swept that one up while losing the other district and the state's overall vote. state legislatures can do that. they can make that change but it will only balance out if most of the states go along with it. imagine if california did it and texas didn't. uh-uh, that would be a problem. until most states agree to award electorates by congressional district, the current system will remain in place. fortunately, like we've said, it's only happened very few times. doesn't happen very often, but you know what? if it does happen three or four elections in a row, then we might see a real demand for change. >> do any other countries do this? >> no. we're the only country that elects our president in this

kind of way, but it does serve to put a brake on a lot of issues and concerns. >> larry, thank you so much for your time this morning, and we'll be right back. stay with us.

bundle up, bay area, because it is chilly out there. here is a live look over oakland right now, and we are tracking more showers and the possibility of a few thunderstorms into the overnight hours. right now 57 degrees in oakland, and now san francisco also seeing some of the light showers.

and san jose saw those overnight showers as well. if you had an early start this morning, you definitely saw those slick roads out there. now, overall 60s across the bay area for your high. bundle up as you make your way outdoors. we have the possibility of that hail going into the evening hours but more along the northern coast. we are expecting to see a few bands of rain that are going to track from the east bay all the way down to the south bay. so we're going to have periods where it's going to calm down. we'll see mostly cloud cover and behind that rain is an unstable cold air mass which is what's actually going to keep us in the 60s for the majority of the day. by about 11:00 a.m. we'll see another chance for some rain all the way down to palo alto and san jose by 3:00. out near fremont and livermore expecting to see more rain. as we head into the later part of the day around 5:00 or 6:00, that's when the storm system begins to make its way out of the area. left behind, some cloud cover and early morning patchy fog.

into the overnight hours we could still see trailing behind the system a few pop-up showers into the early morning commute. if you have an early morning drive, you may want to take some extra time to be on the safe side. overall your 24-shower rain totals unofficial as of now. the north bay did get anywhere from 2 to 3 inches. down here in the south bay for the most part and the east bay a little bit less than half an inch. not even a tenth of an inch in san jose but this could all change into the overnight hours and into the upcoming workweek because we are tracking a pretty active weather pattern as we head into monday and maybe even thanksgiving day. this storm system is kicking up some of the waves. high surf advisory will remain in effect until 3:00 p.m. those waves could swell up from 13 to 15 feet. if you have plans to head to the beach, maybe not so much. we also got a good amount of snowfall out in the sierra mountains. here is a living look at the weather underground in

northstar. with this system there is actively a winter weather advisory that will remain in effect until 4:00 today. anywhere between 6 to 12 inches for areas above 6,000 feet and about 1 to 2 feet above 7,500 feet. so it's definitely going to be a nice area to go snowboarding or maybe skiing, but if you're heading out to the game today, new england versus the niners, please bring your rain gear. don't get caught in the rain because we could see the possibility of a few showers, especially around kickoff time, which is about 1:25. so by 10:00, 11:00 a.m. we will keep the rain chances in the forecast throughout the day. we're not going to warm up. if you want to bring mittens. if you get cold-e easily, pleas be careful. we're going to remain in the 60s, but the big question, thanksgiving day. well, right now it looks like we do have some chances of seeing some evening showers. but like i said earlier most of us will probably be indoors

enjoying some pretty good food so nothing too serious to worry about here. it's going to be a pretty good week ahead in terms of fall-like temperatures for sure. >> we're looking forward to it and you're right. it will be nice to be snuggled up with family. >> fireplace maybe. >> for sure. >> roads are going to be okay for folks driving thanksgiving morning? >> you may want to take more time out because it could be a little slick out there. so that could be a something we'll keep an eye on. >> vianey, thank you so much. it is beginning to look abe lot like christmas. yesterday workers installed what is being called the largest christmas tree in the bay area standing over 80 feet tall. it's in the financial district on california street, and in two weeks workers will light the nearly 200,000 lights on that tree. the doobie brothers are scheduled to perform during the tenth annual event. thanks for making us a part of your morning. no 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. newscast. it's sunday night football. we'll have a special edition of

nbc bay area news and we'll be back on tonight at 11:00. until then, stay up to date on nbcbayarea.com. have a great morning. says it won't let up for a while. the cadillac xt5... what should we do? ...tailored to you. wait it out. equipped with apple carplay compatibility. ♪ now during season's best, get this low mileage lease on this cadillac xt5 from around $429 per month, or purchase with 0% apr financing.