good morning. 5:00 as we begin this new year here on "today in the bay." a live look outside in san francisco. hazy out there to start the morning. a beautiful way to ring in the new year. a lot of people were out celebrating last night. >> yeah. >> now they are sleeping. some are up with us. >> tell us why. maybe you are out early. maybe you are out late. good morning, i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. kari is here with a look at the forecast. >> looks good today and the next several days looking forward to warm weather. you need a warm jacket as you head out. the temperatures, mostly in the low 40s. we have a couple upper 30s for those inland valleys and the tri-valley to the south county. as we look at the highs today, low 60s. i think it will be a good one to get out and take a nice long walk with the sunshine. we will have a lot of changes on

the way as we go through the week in terms of rain. i'll talk about that in a few m minutes. the start of 2018 means recreational marijuana is now officially legal in the golden state. today, dozens of pot shops will be licensed to sell that marijuana throughout the stay. >> pete suratos is live in berkeley at one of a handful of shops opening. we are expecting big business today. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, marcus. that's what they are telling me here in berkeley, big business on the first day of recreational marijuana sales. you can't just walk into any dispensary. there are limited ones selling today. they are starting to line up since doors are going to open at 6:00 a.m. you have people setting up outside the doors. there are only a limited number

of dispensaries opening. you will find the dispensaries. greenstate.com you can see the places. san jose, santa cruz, richland and oakland are selling today. there are no dispensaries in san francisco selling recreational marijuana, at least for today. that could be another week before you see that. of course there's a dispensary in berkeley. you have to be approved by the city before getting a retail license from the state. that's why you are not seeing as many dispensaries selling recreational marijuana this morning. >> part of the reason, there's a few permits with difficulty of staying within the regulations. so, they wanted to make sure the people who are getting into it would set a positive example and be a good example to follow.

>> reporter: here is some important information you need to know today. of course you have to be 12 years or older to purchase recreational marijuana. you can purchase up to an ounce and grow up to six plants at home. this goes without saying driving high is a dui. you are seeing signs on the freeway. there are gray areas as far as what constitutes a dui. also, no public smoking, similar to tobacco. you can't smoke just anywhere or while you are driving. the small number of permits we are seeing as of january 1st. i did speak to the folks here, they say the mayor of berkeley will be here toward the end of the hour for a ribbon cutting before the doors open at 6:00 a.m. we'll have more on this big day for the dispensaries coming up in a half hour. live in berkeley, pete suratos, "today in the bay." >> thanks so much, pete.

to help you navigate the pot laws, we have a special section called, "in the weeds." go to www.nbcbayarea.com to read about it. no one is hurt after a car crash. we have new video in from overnight. it happened at a 7-eleven in san leandro. we don't know what led up to the crash, but we are asking. overnight, the alameda fire department posted pictures of a support beam at the store. the crews needed to install the timber because the crash compromised the building structural integrity. police were out in full force overnight. oakland chp saying we don't care if you drive a lamborghini, if you don't have your license plate attached, you will be pulled over. this year, with the new

marijuana law, police are reminding people, as pete did, you can get a dui for driving while high. a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza where not a lot of people are on the roadways yet. dui arrests are up. last weekend for christmas holiday, chp arrested nearly 1,000 drivers for driving under the influence. new this morning, looks like a stabbing victim will live. on twitter, sfpd says the stabbing happened at ellis street. now, that's just a few blocks away from union square. police said the victim's injuries appeared to be life threatening. now, the victim is in stable condition. police are asking anyone with information to come forward. the investigation continues this morning after a deadly police shooting in redwood city over the weekend. saturday afternoon, auofficers responded to a man with a gun

pacing around those atm machines. they tried to convince that man to surrender. instead, he pulled out a gun and fired at officers. officers returned fire and that man was killed. his identity has not been released yet, but police knew him and he had a history of police contact since he was 8 years old. bart said they will require all passengers to carry proof of payment. a team is training and they expect to roll out the new rules this week. there will be a one-month pass. fines for minors, $55. the time is winding down to take a spontaneous trip to woods. a reservation system starts on the 16th of january, two weeks

from tomorrow. parking and shuttle reservations will be required. the parking fee is $8. it will go up every two years and the shuttle fee will be three bucks. park officials say large crowds and traffic led to this move to have a registration system. you will be able to make registrations online. happening today, flooding may be a concern for parts of the bay area as the weather team says we could see extreme high and low tides, known as king tides. kari has been talking about that. she says we can expect those today and tomorrow. low tides will happen in the afternoon to late evening hours. high tides are set for the mornings on bothdays, today and tomorrow. officials say entrances and exits to coves and beaches could be blocked. there are organized nature walks if you want to get out and see it. at 9:30, a group is meeting at fruit veil bridge park along the oakland waterfront.

at sock 30 this morning, a san francisco group is hosting a walk at china camp state park. that is, of course, in san rafael. happening today, the 129th annual rose parade. just a few hours remain before it begins. some people rang in the new year along the boulevard. >> thousands of people spent the night on the route trying to get the best spot. they spent sunday guarding those spots. >> feels like the wild, wild west here, you have to come and stake your claim and make sure no one steals it. >> up front and on the line. if a flower falls off, you run up and grab it. >> no credible threat of violence targeting the rose bowl parade. law enforcement is stepping up their presence. more than 200 members of the homestead high school marching band will be performing. >> bob redell is live in cupertino with a look at the

all-star band. they are no stranger to this national stage. >> reporter: they are not. good morning and happy new year to you, kris and marcus. the homestead high marching band performed during super bowl 50 at levi stadium and the macy's thanksgiving day parade. they will add the rose bowl parade to their list, which is a huge accolade. the band seen practicing here in cupertino is in pasadena for this once in a lifetime opportunity. they had to apply to be accepted. the application included a portfolio of their competition and video of the band performing, making a right hand turn. it may sound odd, but it's a crucial requirement. the theme for the rose bowl parade, "making a difference." >> we have to focus on that and integrate our students to be

more involved in the community. it's been great because we have been able to do so much more. it's been a great year. >> reporter: in keeping with making a difference, the homestead high school band performed at a local children's hospital in southern california and performed at disneyland. coverage begins at 8:00 here on nbc bay area. if you are looking for the high school marching band, act number 74 in the parade. live in cupertino, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> a lot of fun there. thanks. you can watch the 129th annual tournament of roses parade here on nbc bay area at 8:00 this morning. >> kari is watching the forecast. looks like it could be beautiful in pasadena. >> it is going to be really nice there and we are going enjoy sunshine here and a cool start, but a warm day. if you are getting out there, we have the return of the king tides along the coast.

ocean beach will have the highest tide, coming up at 9:13 this morning and dropping down really low. then, also, tomorrow morning at 10:02 a.m. if you are going out to some of the hiking trails in the south bay, it's going to be a nice one. a cool start, temperatures, low 40s. sunshine and upper 40s by 10:00. low 60s later on today. we'll talk about the temperature trend in palo alto in about four minutes. thank you very much. coming up, tragedy in colorado. the details we are learning about an ambush-style attack on sheriff's deputies on new year's eve. >> not just the first new year, the first of a new tax year, a confusing tax year. we'll take a look when "today in the bay" continues.

happy new year. right now, it's 5:14. we are going check out our temperature trend for palo alto. it's going to be cool to start, mid-40s at 7:00. 10:00, 52 degrees and noon, 57. we'll warm up a few more degrees from there. it's going to be a beautiful day with a lot of sunshine, but hazy. we'll talk about the spare the air alert coming up in about five minutes. >> thank you, kari. 5:14 now. a tragedy in colorado. it is a crime that played out some 45 times during 2017. a law enforcement officer shot dead in the line of duty.

this time, it happened in a denver suburb. in all, five deputies were shot new year's eve morning after responding to a 911 call for a noise disturbance at an apartment complex. two civilians were caught in the cross fire. the harrowing events were caught on one of the deputy's radios. >> shorts fired, shots fired! >> we have one deputy down. all of us have been hit at least once. >> reporter: it started early this morning as deputies responded to a disturbance call at an apartment complex outside denver. >> boom, boom, boom. >> reporter: the gunman opened fire at the responding officers after barricading himself in his bedroom. the gunman shot seven, five deputies and two civilians,

killing one deputy. >> she were shot very, very quickly. it was more of an ambush-type attack. he knew we were coming. >> reporter: police warning residents to shelter in place, stay away from walls and windows. they returned gunfire, killing the suspect. the deputy killed, 29-year-old zachary parrish, father of two who joined the force seven months ago. >> reporter: the sheriff visibly shaken. >> we are deeply saddened by the loss of zachary. when i sat with his wife and held her hand, i could see in her eyes her life was over. >> reporter: later this morning, residents in law enforcement showing support as parish was taken from the hospital to the morgue in a somber procession. all of the injured deputies are in stable condition. among them, a son of a nearby

boulder county sheriff, recovering after emergency surgery. >> it is a tragedy we will feel for a long time. >> reporter: the community mourning the loss of one of their own. >> that was steve patterson reporting. the civilians were treated for non-life threatening injuries. president trump is offering optimistic words about 2018. the first family celebrated new year's eve night at a gala in mar-a-lago. the president said this to reporters -- >> going to have a great year. a fantastic 2018. we are off to a very good start, as you know, with the great tax cuts and anwr and getting rid of the individual mandate, which was very, very unpopular, as you know. we are going to have a tremendous year. the stock market, i think, is going to continue to go up. companies are going to continue to come into the country. >> earlier in the day, the president tweeted out a

self-tribute video touting what he sees as his 2017 achievements. today is the first day of the new year and the first day of new taxes. >> the president mentioned them. taxpayers, accountants and the irs are trying to figure it out. >> the new law takings effect today. it was finalized 13 days ago. the irs has had 13 days to figure out what the law says. 6 of the 13 were weekends or federal holidays. if you are not sure what the tax law is, that's okay, neither is the irs. we saw people lining up to pay property taxes early to save money. they will be less deductible, starting today. this brings up an interesting political point. washington assures americans they are getting a tax cut. every person in this line, lined up during the christmas holiday to avoid higher taxes doesn't think washington is telling them the truth.

voters think they are getting a tax hike. the stock markets closed in the second best run in years. september was the best ipo of 2017. the president predicts the stock market will do very well. i can't give you a prediction. i can tell you about flattening yields. we can't predict. we couldn't predict this 2017. it does not make sense. >> it was interesting to see people trying to pay taxes ahead of time. the properties have to be assessed before you pay. >> you have to have a coupon in california. my parents in illinois, cook county, pay theirs. think about that, people are told they are getting a tax cut, yet they are willing to stand in lines of 100 people deep to prepay taxes because they don't believe. >> right. >> very interesting.

welcome to 2018. thank you very much, scott. one bay area couple is celebrating a new addition. one of my favorite stories of the year, already. the baby boy was born at 12:03. he is 6 pounds, 10 ounces. he doesn't have a name yet but impressive parents. his mom is a psychiatrist, his dad is a cardiologist. they never left work. they moved to san francisco from the philadelphia area about a year ago. welcome baby boy. we are thinking marcus might be nice. >> i like that. >> what do you think, marcus? >> the cool factor. >> oh, my goodness. >> i love those first baby stories. as a reporter, i got to meet some of them. >> i love when they have twins and one is born in one year and the other in the next. >> my god mother's daughters are

like that. they are twins. >> the other is like, i'm older than you. >> that's a big deal. >> we start out this new year with great weather as you get ready to head out this morning. if you are about to head out to work like us, it's going to be a clear start. cool temperatures, too, if you are just watching us because you are just coming in from partying. relax and take in the sunshine later on today. we are going to have very hazy conditions, poor air quality in the north bay as well as the bay and the coast. the inland east bay will have the most unhealthy air quality. moderate for the south bay and santa clara valley. the air quality will gradually improve for the week. we will have more winds and rain moving in as you get a look at that seven day forecast at the bottom of the screen. we are starting out with low to mid-40s around the bay area and light, patchy fog. the north bay has had dense fog. as of right now, visibility is

mostly clear. as we check out the high temperatures for today, 65 degrees in east san jose and for the east bay, looking at low to mid-60s. not much of a wind today. that's what's going to help contribute to that unhealthy air quality in san mateo, a high of 68. 61 in the mission district. santa rosa, a high of 60 degrees. going out for a jog and getting an early jump on your new year's resolution. it's going to be cool throughout the morning. we will have times of sunshine. we'll start to see more clouds moving in as this storm system approaches with rain expected for the middle of the week. it looks like a good chance here with a couple rounds of rain starting on wednesday and continuing into friday as well as part of the weekend. rainfall totals may reach as high as over an inch of rain and our temperatures will be staying on the cool side for the rest of the week. i'll have another quick look at the forecast coming up in ten

minutes. >> thanks, carry. coming up next on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. a mail order mess that leaves a woman's wallet $100 lighter. i'm chris chmura. nbc bay area responds, next. to a livermore woman who paid

for a product she never received. nbc bay area responds to a livermore woman who paid for a

product she never received. >> our response team helped her out. chris chmura is here with with that story. >> judith bought an ultrasonic product online designed to help relieve pain. sounds like it only created some. she paid 100 bucks but it never arrived. she called the company. they told her the item was back ordered. later, they told judith, they were having computer problems and that was causing another delay. then dms told judith it shipped the item, but she never received it. she called and canceled. they told her a refund check, you know the end of this, was in the mail. she never received that check. after months of getting nowhere on her own, she reached out to us for help. we contacted dms and they finally shipped her the product. they did not respond to our question asking what caused the

delay. for purchases like this, use a credit card. you have a window to dispute a charge if you don't receive the product when you are supposed to. if you have a consumer complaint, call us, 888-996-tips or online at www.nbcbayarea.com/responds. 5:27. coming up next on "today in the bay," new year, new laws. as of the stroke of midnight, recreational marijuana is legal in california. we are live at a local pot shop as they prepare to open stores for the first time this morning. plus, the rose parade is a few hours away. the preparations under way right now and the local band that will soon march down the streets of pasadena.

it is 5:30. this is the first "today in the bay" newscast of 2018. looking live at los gatos, which was probably hopping last night as folks rang in the new year. thanks for joining us on this monday morning. i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. we want to head over to meteorologist, kari hall as we start this new year. >> happy new year. it is going to start out really nice with above normal temperatures and dry weather. taking a look at san francisco over the next few days, 60 degrees and warmer tomorrow. rain is not far behind.

looking forward to showers in the midweek forecast and the inland areas, the warmest day for tomorrow, expecting rain to move in. we'll talk about that and the weekend ahead. that's coming up in seven minutes. >> thank you, kari. well, happening today, 2018 marks the beginning of a new era for california. recreational marijuana is now officially legal. >> pete suratos is live at a marijuana store opening doors early this morning. we saw a guy in a colorful suit behind you earlier. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, kris and marcus. yeah, colorful personalities out here. as you mentioned, they are one of those dispensaries able to sell recreational marijuana today. their doors are going to open in a half hour. i want to show you over my shoulder the set up. we took a peek inside. they are setting up for the big day. you can't just walk into any

dispensary to purchase recreational marijuana. i want to show you a list of the cities where you can find those dispensaries. a good resource, greenstate.com to see which dispensaries are selling recreational marijuana. the cities listed include san jose, santa cruz, oakland and richmond among those on the list. san francisco is not on the list, at least of today. there aren't dispensaries that have the state license and local license to sell recreational marijuana. we spoke to some of the first folks in line here, some here at 4:00 a.m. here is what they have to say about the big day. >> it's the most exciting time in california's history. you know, we have been living in the shadows and the black market. now we can be proud to be part of a regular industry. >> freedom. there are certain restrictions that come with it, you can't just, you know, do this anywhere. the big egest word here is freedom. people are allowed to be people.

we are able to be responsible adults and consume one of the safest known medicines there is on the planet. >> reporter: the information you need to know today, you need to be 21 years or older to purchase recreational marijuana. you can have up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants at home. driving high is a dui. chp posting those signs of freeways across the area. there's gray area as far as what constitutes a dui, determining the levels of thc. you can't smoke it just anywhere. government regulations as far as how they will regulate it, hence the small permits we are seeing as of january 1st. the mayor will be here in 15 minutes for a ribbon cutting. that first transaction is going to take place at 6:00 a.m. live

in berkeley, pete suratos, "today in the bay." >> thank you very much, pete. now that recreational marijuana is legal, veterinarians are warning pet owners about poisoning. a dog ate something fond on the walk and it turned frightening. >> a pool of urine on the floor, which is not typical for her. she seemed wobbly. the doctor came out and said we induced the vomiting and it reeked of pot. >> the dog is okay. if you plan to partake, keep it out of the reach of dogs and cats and children, too. marijuana toxicity in animals is going to be an issue this new year. california's minimum wage goes up. there's a different salary requirement depending on where you live.

the minimum wage is now $11 per hour. in oakland, minimum wage is $13.23 per hour. san jose will be $15 per hour. several other new laws go into effect in california today. employers can no longer ask about prior salary. applicants can request the pay scale they apply for. passengers will be required to use seatbelts if they are available and drivers can't be cited for parking at a broken parking meter. it may cost more to use vta. adult fares will increase by 25 cents to $2.25 a ride. youth fares will drop to a dollar. they will offer free two-hour transfers to certain customers. trains will run longer and more

frequently. the floats are in place and thousands are braving the chilly temperatures along the route of the 129th road parade in pasadena. this year, more than 200 members of the homestead high school marching band will be among those performing. "today in the bay's" bob redell is live in cupertino with a closer look at it all. bob? >> reporter: good morning to you kris and marcus. the brand in homestead high will be seen on the national stage. they will march down the streets of pasadena in this year's annual rose bowl parade, a parade of roses. we spoke with a band during one of their practices here. the band director says the students will be celebrating new year's eve last night at 9:00 pacific as the ball fell in times square with lights out at

9:30. he wants students well rested for a once in a lifetime opportunity. >> the pay off is going to be worth it once we see the crowd and the energy. it's the biggest audience they can perform for. no other parade can match it except the macy's parade. >> reporter: the homestead high marching band performed at the macy's thanksgiving day parade in new york city as well as super bowl l in levi stadium. we'll tell you about the unusual requirement that was part of the application process to be accepted into the rose bowl parade. coverage is here at 8:00 this morning. if you are looking for homestead high marching band, they are act number 74 in the lineup. live in cupertino, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> we'll be watching, for sure. we have one of our nbc bay area kids. her mom works here. >> chloe. >> chloe is going to be

marching. >> good luck. the bay area kicking off the new year in style. >> that's right. in case you missed it, here is a taste of the fireworks display. that woke me up. people from all across the world gathered along the embarcadero to ring in the new year. we talked to a family from chicago who said they were glad it wasn't freezing out. >> near chicago. not too cold, not like subzero temps like back home. >> hundreds of officers were mobilized and set up public address displays saying to text something if you see something. right now, live in new york city where the massive clean up effort begins today. a lot of people still outside. i don't know why. the reason i say that, more than 1 million people braved those

bone-chilling temperatures to see the world famous ball drop in time square. dangerously cold temperatures led to cancellations across the country. the windchill factor, it felt like one degree below zero in new york city last night. i saw people earlier kissing. >> that will warm you up, that's for sure. here is how the rest of the world rang in the new year. hong kong, dubai, new zealand. hung ga hungary, no thank you. in australia, sydney harbor lit up bright. it was a colorful display to celebrate the country's recent legalization of same-sex marriage. if you can't get enough of the new year's eve fireworks or slept through them, we have a slide show on our website on our home page, www.nbcbayarea.com.

we didn't have to deal with temperatures like that. >> that's right. it's terrible. >> it has to hurt your teeth. >> you have to wear so many layers you can barely move. >> they were out there for hours. >> thankfully, we are not going to have anything like that. it is going to be quiet and mild. by the weekend, we'll dry out with clouds lingering. saturday is looking good from the coast to the inland areas. highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s. that shouldn't say new year's eve. sunday, the high temperatures will be upper 50s. if you are heading to l.a. this weekend, it's going to be a nice one there, 70 degrees on friday. upper 60s by the end of the weekend, then going to yosemite, nice weather with a slight chance of snow early on saturday. sunday, it does clear out and the high temperatures there reaching up to 48 degrees.

if you are going hiking and spending time with family, it's going to be soggy out there especially on friday. some of the trails may be wet saturday to sunday. we should have conditions drying out there. let me know what you are doing this weekend. you may see it features here some time this week coming up at 5:38. i do weekend forecast at 6:38. i'll have a look at today's temperature trend in three minutes. >> thank you, kari. coming up on "today in the bay," hit the road jack. the raiders head coach fired. what's next for the team after a losing year? plus, the president issued his first tweet of the year. yeah, he's tweeting this year. when "today in the bay" continues.

happy new year. it's ak 44. a live look outside in san jose. it's going to be a lot of smoke and a very unhealthy air quality as we go through the day. let's go to evergreen for a semitrend that will be in the mid-40s starting out and warming to the low 60s with mostly sunny skies. as some of the kids head back to school tomorrow, more clouds moving in. we'll talk about that and what's coming up in five minutes. >> thanks, kari. the raiders will be looking for a head coach in the new year. this comes after coach jack del rio announced he will no longer be with the team. this comes off a disappointing season that ended with a loss

yesterday. at the beginning of the season, the raiders considered a super bowl favorite. their record 6-10. several reports surfaced this weekend that the silver and black may be looking to push to bring back john gruden. now, the 54-year-old last coached in the nfl in 2008. a developing story out of costa rica where ten americans and two crew members died in a plane crash yesterday. a family of five from new york is among those killed. >> "today in the bay's" ida has more about the victims. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a special family vacation. the government of costa reica confirmed five were dead from the same family, a mother and

father and three boys. >> a whole family should meet with such a disaster. >> reporter: the news spread quickly in this community. other, dispair and disral shock. bruce and irene and their three sons, matthew, william and zachary. >> they were a lovely family. when i moved in, she brought me a cake. that's the kind of person she was. >> reporter: the family was on a private plane in costa rica, registered with nature air. there were a total of ten americans and two local crew members on the cessna aircraft kar according to the public ministry. recovery teams were sorting through the wreckage. what caused it to fall from the sky is unknown. folks who never met them were

horrified to learn the news. >> it's devastating to hear that. north korea started 2018 off with a reminder of the nuclear prowless. kim jong-un gave his address and said all of the u.s. is in range of the nuclear weapons. he said he has a nuclear button on his desk and wouldn't use it unless he was threatened. they hope south korea is successful at their winter games and he is considering sending a delegation. scott mcgrew, we have the first trump tweet of the year. >> the united states is foolishly given pack san more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years. they have given us nothing but lies and deceit, thinking of our

leaders as fools. they give safe thooichb the terrorists we hunt in afghanistan. no more. an analysis would take hours to go over. the bottom line is, pakistan is a nuclear armed company with a significant number of people who don't like us or our allies. we give money to support stability. the bad guys don't take charge. this morning, president trump tweeted a change to policy. he says no more. this is the first day of the new tax law, the one congress passed before christmas that's given the irs and taxpayers a couple days to figure it out before it takes effect. speaker of the house, paul ryan, says congress' next priority is cut medicare, medicaid and welfare because the deficit is too big. this 12 or 13 days after the house passed that tax cut to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit. this is 12 days ago for paul ryan.

this is paul ryan today. we examine what washington is up to every day on "today in the bay," even at 5:48 a.m. on new year's day. we do it every day. kris and marcus? >> thank you very much, scott. we start out new year's day mildly with the mild temperatures. >> not too bad. we had really cold mornings recently. it's not as cold this morning. it warms up as we go into the afternoon, looking at 60s today and a lot of sunshine. it's going to be a hazy sunshine. we have had a lot of unhealthy air quality, a lot of smoke and pollutants we put out there are being trapped in the low lying areas. as we look outside in san francisco, you can see the haze. it's a spare the air day, no wood burning, that's illegal. it would be unhealthy as far as the air quality in the bay and coastal areas. inland, east bay and santa clara. we have king tides today. now, the earth, sun and moon

aligned in a way that creates very high tides and extremely low tides. those coastal areas, the water will go up. the highest tide at 9:13 at ocean feet, over seven feet and high tide tomorrow, later in the morning, at 10:02 tomorrow. the high temperatures today reaching the low 60s, up to 64 degrees in san jose. we have the seven day forecast at the bottom of the screen showing those rain drops by the middle of the week. as you are getting dressed this morning, if you are getting ready to head out to work or heading out for a jog, a morning for a nice, warm coat or something with long sleeves for later today as our temperatures make it to the low 60s. we cannot complain and say it is cold outside, especially when you look at the high temperatures for the country. new orleans, we are 38 degrees. that's the high temperature for

today. a big blast of arctic air sweeping all the way to the south atlanta today, staying below freezing throughout the day. we will be in the low 60s in san francisco. we will start to see more clouds moving in. slightly warmer for tomorrow. showers in the forecast from wednesday to friday. we will also have some more clouds moving in for the weekend. inland areas expect the warmest day for tomorrow, 67 degrees. not bad at all. i'll have another look at the forecast coming up in about ten minutes. >> i just came back from colorado, it was not 67 degrees. it was cold. >> welcome home. >> thank you. coming up on "today in the bay," a controversial way to combat a budget crisis. the state resorting to a four-day school week to save money and jobs, next. happening now, hundreds of cars are destroyed after an overnight parking garage fire in england. witnesses say the cars slowed every couple seconds when the

fire was at the peak. it briefly threatened horses at a nearby stable, fwu horses are okay. they are blacming an accident al fire for the chain reaction. police arrested a man who had guns and ammo inside his downtown houston hotel room. we are back in two minutes with more news. a live look outside in san

francisco good morning to you and happy new year as we take a live look outside san francisco. you can see right there, hazy there, but still going to be a nice, mild day. when you travel to vegas, they say what happens in vegas stays in vegas. >> the story you are about to see didn't stay in vegas. garvin thomas shows us, it is a very good thing. >> reporter: regardless how it may seem in movies and on tv, not all las vegas dreams come true at night. and not all take place in a casino. some jackpots are hit in the middle of the day. and one, well, one recently happened right in pedro's cab. >> it was a gift from god.

>> reporter: pedro has been driving a taxi in vegas for 18 years. it's helped him raise a family, he says. but changes in the industry have made it harder and harder, lately, to make ends meet. >> it's tough. it's very tough. we have too many taxis now. it's very hard to make a living. >> reporter: which is why, when pedro picked up a passenger at the cosmo poll tan last december, he was two months behind on his mortgage. a fact he'd not normally share with a fare, but this one was different. >> very friendly and i thought i can tell him my problems. >> reporter: pedro, though, had no idea how different this ride would be. >> i'm a firm bleeliever what y project in the world you get back tenfold. >> reporter: his passenger plays for the san jose earthquakes.

pedro, originally from argentina and soccer lover his entire life, that would have been enough to make this run to the airport memorable. but quincy was about to turn memorable into unforgettable. >> if there's a way you can help someone, you need to do that. i let him know, i would like to help you get caught up on your mortgage. >> reporter: quincy cut him a personal check on the spot. >> i don't lose my house thanks to him. i'm very appreciate his generosity. >> reporter: quincy is an athlete who thinks a lot about life after professional sports. he's already working hard to be a success in business, to have enough money one day that he can help others make their dreams come true. it's the reason he was in vegas that week, attending a marketing convention. >> there's so many people with great ideas and such passion for what they love, you know? i want to be able to have the

resources to facilitate that. >> reporter: on that ride to the airport, something dawned on quincy. he says, why wait for one day to do what you can do on this day? in las vegas, garvin thomas, nbc bay area news. >> nice smile. school districts in oklahoma are cutting class to save money and save jobs. 20% of the districts in this stas a state are now on a four-day workweek. they are not going for the traditional five days. they add an hour each day to back fill. supporters say discipline is down and attendance is up. opponents say there is no evidence that is shorter week is helpful for students. and, it is an adjustment for parent's schedule, as you might imagine. even though the kids may like it, they have long-term concerns. >> what kind of example do you think this is setting for your children going forward as they

become adults? >> requiring a minimum of them, which is upsetting. it's not the way the world works. >> they are facing a budget crisis and teacher shortage. the shortened week saved nearly $200,000 last year on transportation, substitute teachers and utilities. so, how do you ring in the new year with kids too young to stay up until midnight? kari, that's you. a museum in san jose has a fun answer to the question. >> each year, they invite families to countdown to noon across time zones. the parents of the kids mark noon, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and the countdown. the ball dropping. what would it be without confetti. for many, this is the first time they rang in the new year this way. >> it's exciting for me. it's my first time and i never see this much stuff. >> yeah.

it's his first time. he's lived a long life. >> i know. >> the children's discovery museum has been hosting the ball drop since 2006. they do it in a lot of cities. >> i know. right now, 6:00, ringing in the new year with new laws. we are live as dozens of pot shops open up for the first time across the state. a mangled mess. how a car ended up inside a 7-eleven overnight. plus -- ♪ the rose parade is about to get under way this morning. the bay area students preparing to march down the streets of pasadena and why we are particularly proud. looi live coverage coming up. "today in the bay" continues right now. thanks so much for joining us, i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia today. >> i'm marcus washington. as we welcome you into the new year, we have been up sin