it's a serious situation in the sierra as another avalanche hits a mountain resort. >> the news at 8:00 starts right now. i'm terry mcsweeney. >> thanks so much for joining us on this primetime edition of nbc bay area news because of tonight's game. we begin with a wild day of weather. rain, low snow and hale. this is video. hale so thick it looks almost like snow. >> up in the mountains you got snow. video from mammoth mountain where an avalanche was reported today. first, let's check in with rob mayeda tracking the path of the storm. >> the storm starting to move out. we're seeing an pretty chilly air. 46 degrees in san jose. feels more like 42 outside. the storm totals ranging from an inch to more than 4 inches from

the santa cruz mountains. check out the numbers in the sierra. five to eight feet of snow coming down in just three to four days. incredible. we doubled the base conditions there at squaw valley. still a winter storm warning through 5:00 a.m. our mobile doppler radar positioned atop san bruno mountain. still picking up snow to the south of mt. hamilton. the showers starting to move out as the moisture continues to bring more snow to see era. a chilly start tomorrow. could have patchy frost and near freezing temperatures. we'll have a complete look at the rest of your forecast and if we'll see more showers coming up in about ten minutes. >> rob, thanks. a developing story we're following near yosemite where the snow triggered another affect large at mammoth mountain ski resort. it's a popular skiing alternative to lake tahoe. at about 10:00 this morning, the

ski patrol was doing avalanche prevention work when an actually avalanche hit. pictures show the frenzy to make sure no one was trapped or hurt. one couple says they were on a chair lift when the avalanche rolled right below hem. >> changed pretty quickly when we saw the avalanche, it was intense. it was definitely mind altering. > that is scary. three people were partially buried but they were able to be free themselves. several employees were also partially trapped but everyone has been accounted for. meanwhile, squaw valley ski resort in lake tahoe is getting back to normal after an avalanche there. we showed you this dramatic video of a man being rescued last night. five skiers were hit. two were taken to the hospital. squaw valley reopened eight ski lifts today. the two people trapped by that avalanche are from the bay area. we just sbobed them moments ago.

you can hear their story tonight at 11:00? the storm bringing snow to the bay area. take a look at the scene. the peaks of mountain hamilton. a dusting of white and more may be on the way. >> at first glance, you might think the family is enjoying a snowy weekend in tahoe but it's just a short drive from their south bay home. >> it's beautiful. this seems to me it's got to be unusual to have this level of snow up here. >> incredible. i've never been up here and seen it here in the bay area. >> lick observe story a hot spot for those seeking the cold. the mt. hamilton summit is dusted with snow and the kids can't get enough. >> it's really, really, really fun. i'm i've never had a snow fight before. this is my first snowball fight. >> reporter: who's winning? >> i don't know. >> a nice break of routine not just for the kids but parents, as well.

>> yeah, good little break for mom and a good little outing for us. i like it, and wish there was a little bit more. we'll hang out and see if we can get some more later in the afternoon. >> reporter: this little boy has never seen anything like it. >> great. >> it's the first time he's seen snow before. it's never been this close to home. we didn't want to drive to that ho. >> reporter: it's rather new to mckenna, too. >> are you having a good time? >> reporter: there's snowballs and snowmen won't last long but the memories will likely linger. from mt. hamilton, laura some bol. >> just outside the bay area, quite the wintry scene. video taken in lake county off highway 175 up on cobb mountain. one family switching golf balls for snowballs. at blackrock golf course. check out video, raj mathai posted on twitter. he says his friend john shot the video from dublin. it could be raj video.

a slush covered roadway from early morning hale. our viewers have been sending in videos all day long. thank you so much. william allen sent us this video of hale in gilroy. kelly conley sent us video of hale in brentwood. we want to see your weather videos. you got them. we'd love to see them. send them to us at i see at nbc bay ararea.co bayarea.com. >> switching gears now is, tough questions in vallejo as people gathered for a meeting about preventing gun violence. >> this isn't enough. this is not enough. >> congressman mike thompson heads the house gun violence prevention task force. dozens of people came out seeking answers on what's being done to protect students and teachers in the wake of the deadly florida shooting. >> i'm a gun owner.

i support the second amendment. and i don't think that civilians need assault weapons. they, the military should have them, cops should have them, civilians don't need them. >> he recently announced he has 200 cosponsors from both parties on a bill that would strengthen background checks for gun buyers. there is a lot that has been done. there's a lot more that needs to be done. why it's so important we elect the right people. >> that was the husband of congresswoman gabby giffords. giffords was seriously injured in a mass shoo shooting in 2011. giffords and husband mark kel little were in berkeley today to endorse buff if i wilks for state assembly. this morning kelly praised her for her work on national gun control reform. wicks ran former president barack obama's grassroots campaigns in 2008 and 2012. still ahead on nbc bay area news at 8:00, causing more

destruction and claiming more lives. we'll have the latest on a powerful nor'easter pounding the east coast. >> coming up later in our newscast, the olympics aren't over yet. the special sendoff today at sfo for athletes heading to pyeonchang. you could generate your own energy, at home. or to save energy, unplug unused appliances. do your thing, with energy upgrade california.

the dark tonight... as that powerful nor )easter cont hundredsin of thousands aren the dark tonight as that powerful nor'easter continues to wreak havoc on the east coast. winds so strong this large big rig truck was nearly blown over. nbc's kristin daal gren reports. >> reporter:. massachusetts, a state of emergency tonight. seeing no relief from the vicious nor'easter. residents along the coast battling wind and water. >> this is the worst i think i've ever seen it. you can't get in, you can't get out. >> reporter: parts of quincey still totally cut off. the national guard carrying people to safety. at four months pregnant, nicole doyle is relieved to get her kids and dog out. >> it's extremely cold in our

house. we're shivering and they were getting freaked out. >> reporter: cold is a problem for so many. along the east coast, 1.3 million are still without lights and heat. >> how cold is it inside? >> very cold. >> reporter: like marilyn taylor trapped in her home, her daughter didn't know how to get her out. >> she was just freezing and hungry, hadn't eaton anything and she couldn't light the stove. >> reporter: she hitched a ride with us to a shelter. >> i tried to stick it out but i was done. >> reporter: others walked along high ground to get gas for generators as the storm surge pushed in for a third time. >> reporter: we're approaching another high tide here. as you can see, the water coming back over the seawall. once again spilling into the streets here. we've got to get going or we'll get stuck out here, as well. at least eight deaths are now blamed on the storm largely due to trees crushing homes and cars. the dangerous wind whipping through houses like this one

outside philadelphia where no one was injured. in new jersey a woman rescued after a free fell on her while she was walking her dog. downed power lines in connecticut causing more outactions. on the yale campus, a garage partially collapsed due to wind. while back in quincey, a community struggles to recover. >> everybody's been really helpful and this is a great community here. >> those storms are no joke. >> yes, both coasts dealing with active weather both here and in the sierra. we're seeing snow still flying. a lot of rain and snow over the bay area heading for the sierra. squaw creek, you've got snow 22 degrees. still a winter storm warning. if you want to check out the snow through 5:00 p.m. tomorrow morning it, another 4 to 6 inches coming down mainly for the morning up to five to eight feet in the sierra. this is the final act of this weather pattern. it will bring more snow to the

high country for tomorrow morning. san francisco 47. a high of 53 today. with the wind, it feels more like 44. dublin 43. temperatures in the 30s around the tri-valley attend. oakland currently 46 degrees. the wind out there the brisk. feels more like 41 outside when you combine wind speed and air temperature. san jose 46. currently storm ranger doppler radar here it, mobile doppler radar atop san bruno mountain, showers right near the radar site. we're not done yet. we've gone everyone widespread showers to isolated showers and snow showers south of mt. hamilton. as you head towards the esera, more snow to deal with early sunday. morning temperatures cold enough for freezing temperatures in the wind sheltered valleys of the north and east bay. high temperatures tomorrow a bit warmer than today. but still mid to upper 50s. fairly cool for this time of

year. tri-valley seeing 58 in pleas t pleasanton. peninsula to san francisco, temperatures in the low 50s to finish the weekend. for the north bay, highs in the mid 50s. so hour by hour as we go through tonight, still along the coast, there's a slight chance of a few showers. right around midday tomorrow, to mid afternoon, a few pop-up showers possible on the hill tops and as the sunsets, any chances of showers begin to go away. sunday nothing like the weather we saw today. you'll notice in the future cast, anyone who gets any measurable rain tomorrow probably right near the coast of the had i tops of the santa cruz mountains around fremont. sunday not a big weather story for us. as the pattern begins to leave, monday through wednesday looks dry. the next rain event looks to be midday thursday. into friday. overall this next pattern coming up for the second half of the weeks looks to bring about a third of the rain we just saw.

a decent storm but not to the levels over the last three days. towards next weekend, high pressure leads to a dry weekend forecast for a change. so a few lingering showers tomorrow around the hilltops around midday. nothing liking with today's hale, thunder and everything in between. monday through wednesday looks dry and another system comes in for thursday trending drier for next week. >> a nice start to the workweek. thank you. up next, we investigate. >> do you think they put business and profit ahead of your son's lieu of? >> absolutely. absolutely. >> a family shares its heart break. up next, we investigate the secretive world of drug rehab centers.

we need to be ready for whatever weather may come our way. my name's scott strenfel and i'm a meteorologist at pg&e. we make sure that our crews as well as our customers are prepared to how weather may impact their energy. so every single day we're monitoring the weather, and when storm events arise our forecast get crews out ahead of the storm to minimize any outages. during storm season we want our customers to be ready and stay safe. learn how you can be prepared at pge.com/beprepared. together, we're building a better california.

fueling a boomi

it is a national epidemic that's fueling a booming business. we're talking about opioid addiction. drug rehab centers can make tens of thousands of dollars every month from a single client. >> as reporter vicky nguyen learned companies may promise to help you beat addiction. what's less clear is how often someone dies in a california rehab facility about once every two weeks according to the state. >> reporter: deaths are not unexpected among people addicted to dangerous drugs. but we investigate rehab secrets, do these facilities ever make fatal mistakes because they're putting profit ahead of patients? we'll take you through one

family's heart break and search for answers. >> reporter: he had a lot of >> reporter: he had a lot of % in s left to still work on. and i had just been back to baton rouge two weeks. from trying to see him in california. >> for years, he believed what he had been told that nathan died of an accidental overdose but then a call from a stranger changed everything. >> i knew something was wrong. >> reporter: paul is the founder of parent teen bridges a group that offers support to parents of children addicted to drugs. his son was friends with nathan at center point. >> reporter: why did you get involved. >> my son was injured psychologically because he woke up and went to his friend's room next door and he was dead with vomit on the bed beside him. >> reporter: he says he spent six months investigating the death. >> do you think nathan's death was avoidable? >> totally, there's no question. >> reporter: law states rehab centers must send anyone within signs of intoxication to a medical facility unless they have a staff trained to treat that person. they did not. the revelation prompted them to sue center point for negligence and wrongful death. >> he was impaired. >> reporter: sasha worked there in 2013 when nathan was a client. she says two patients it reported seeing him under the

influence. >> they should have brought him to the hospital to be medically cleared first. she says while staffers it often have good intentions many are just out of rehab themselves. she was hired shortly after recovering from a heroin addiction. >> there's definitely people who are not trained in recovery at all. there are some people there that have been in recovery themselves. >> reporter: do you think people would be stunned to know who is actually caring for these patients? >> you was stunned. >> reporter: the log shows staff called the company vice president hop authorized nathan's return to the program. he is convinced that choice was motivated by money. >> and that's just a sad part of it. is that the decisions at the top to keep the bed filled to put profit ahead of the client. >> reporter: no one from center point responded to our repeated requests for an interview. but in a deposition, the ceo was

asked, would you agree that nathan eaton should not have been kept on the premises after admitted he had had ingested methadone. she answered no and didn't know he was in that state. the deft of health care services is disagreed. documents obtained by nbc bay area show dhcs cited center point for several deficiencies including two of the most severe. the agency found they failed to refer nathton a higher level of care and an perform detoxification services without a detox license. >> do you think they put business and profit ahead of your son's life? >> absolutely. absolutely. >> reporter: at the 253 treatment facilities in the bay area, the state has received 305 complaints since mid 2011. 32 people have died but nearly half of those deaths are still under investigation. >> he died less than five months after his mom. >> reporter: he says he's exposing the mystery of his son's death to shine a light for other families grappling with

drug abuse. >> my goal is that other families consider being vigilant, consider looking into the facility, never lose hope. never lose love. and pray. >> reporter: center point never admitted liblth but reached a settlement settlement with the family. dhcs does not post records about facilities on line. you have to call to ask about complaints and deaths. we posted information on how to do that and what to ask at nbcbayarea.com/we investigate. >> if you have a story or our investigative unit, call 888-996-tips or visit our website nbcbayarea.com/weinvestigate. >> a great way to beat the weather, stay indoors watching college hoops. >> sports is next. and here you have a bánh mi inspired fried chicken sandwich. you'd never find this at a fast food restaurant - it's a good thing. is that right, martha? why don't you try my asian fried chicken sandwich?

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"sportsdesk" bringing you the latest in bay area sports. spring has sprung and so did the giants offense in arizona today. split squad action from the giants has the team taking on texas at scottsdale stadium. bottom of the first, giants down 2-0. pan panik with this solo shot to right, his first of the spring puts the giants up on the board. to the bottom of the fourth, giants up now 6-4. evan long goria, one of the prize offseason signings doing this one solo style. one of their solo home runs against the rangers today winning 9-4. the giants won their other game versus cleveland, 13-4. and you can get your first look at the giants spring training action tomorrow. they face the dodgers on "nbc sports" bay area. the game will be followed by our giants season preview show. on to college hoops, stanford at arizona state.

pac-12 regular season finale, cardinals up by 16. dorian pickens from downtown. one of the senior's five threes. but the sun devils keep this game interesting. final minute we're tied up. davis finishes, stanford regains the lead. asu down by one. martin with a chance to win at the buzzer. no good. the cardinals win 4-83 over the devils. in other men's local hoops, usf dwreeted fantastic to advance to the wcc semifinals. backing to terry and an knew shah. >> the olympic games aren't over yet. 60 athlete for team usa are headed to compete at the paralympic winter games in pyeonchang. united airlines customers and employees signed a message wall wishing the athletes best of luck. >> for the most part, it's the same tracks and the same events

that they have. the only difference for us is it's modified to our disabilities. >> this year, nbc is increasing its coverage of the paralympic winter games. you can watch the games from march 9th to the 18th on "nbc sports." >> it looks cold out there. i know what that feels like. up in tahoe for the past two days. it was kind of a dangerous experience. >> five to eight feet of snow came down the last few days. still showers out there for you tonight. the mobile doppler radar, that's how it looks on our radar. that's how it might look on a weather ap. and again, here's what storm ranger can do. the areas orange might be some small hale or wet snowflakes mixed with some of the showers around daly city. most of the action heading off to the east. a few lingering showers possible tomorrow. next widespread rain arriving on thursday. >> thanks very much. a belated welcome to the set.

>> thanks, guys. "snl" is next. we'll see you back here for nbc bay area news at 11:00. who are these people? the energy conscious people among us say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing.

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