a live look at the radar right now - as this strong system continues to hammer the bay area with heavy rain and gusty winds. it )s going to be a wet morning commute - and here )s what folks will be dealing with out on the roads - check out this car in flood waters on the alameda in san jose - this is at stockton. the fire department is warning drivers not to drive into standing water. and this is why- you can find yourself stuck. the alameda in that area is closed at the moment. good morning and thank you for joining us. i )m laura garcia. and i )m marcus washington. we )re on early at 4 am to get you ready for your morning commute. toss to weather.

there are scattered power outages across the bay

area... mostly in the east bay. at one point about 6- thousand pg&e customers were in the dark overnight in the san pablo and el cerrito area. power was restored at around 3:30 a-m. utility crews are working to restore power now. another problem spot is the campbell area and some nearby parts of san jose. we talked to pg&e overnight. a spokesperson said most crews stayed home last night so they would be ready to roll out first thing this morning. anyone driving in the south bay overnight has had to deal with messy conditions. one of our today in the bay staffers saw two downed trees on the drive from ben lomond early this morning .. down highway-17 to the south bay. but - as nbc bay area )s sergio quintana reports .. the bay area )s weather-related concerns actually started well before the storm arrived. slow down! that )s the message this morning for drivers.

the marin county sheriff )s department tweeting this video of rain hitting the north bay. they say it )s the type of rain that causes water to pond on the roads which can be tricky for most drivers. coming up on today in the bay... our storm coverage continues.... and it )s not just rain hammerig northern california. sierra is bracing for fresh snow. a look at road and slope conditions this morning. ad lib live picture

the sierra - already feeling the impact from the latest storm.

the heaviest snow is coming in right about now. but as you can see from this video - skiers at boreal were out when the first flurries arrived last night. there )s a lot more snow on the way - maybe 5 feet at the highest elevations .. through sunday. emily mahah from our nbc station in sacramento speaking with some of the locals. coming up on today in the bay..

kari is timing out the rain here in the bay area... kari tease mike tease

this little home of mine, ♪ i'm gonna let it shine. ♪ it's energy saving time, ♪ i'm gonna reduce mine. ♪ californians all align ♪ to let our great state shine. ♪ let it shine, ♪ the power's ours to let it shine! ♪

new video just into our newsroom of flooded roadway in the south bay -- you can see workers in the water trying to unplug a storm drain. it )s a scene that )s going to e playing out all over the bay area. let )s head outside - live look at a wet 101 in palo alto. and this is the worry right now - a wet morning commute.

and that )s the story this morning. here )s another live picture - this time from dublin. it )s a good idea to head out early today we could see a lot of problems out on the roads this morning. ad lib toss to wx and traffic

it )s obviously wet, and windy too

turning to other news. anyone trying to buy their first home already knows how hard it can be in the bay area. but now - there )s a new opportunity for some south bay families. millions of dollars is now available in loans - thanks to a unique new program. but as nbc bay area )s ian cull explains .. you still have to meet certain qualifications.

that was ian cull reporting. again - the new program has lots of guidelines. but on our homepage we )ve postd a link to the story - which includes exactly how it works. coming up on today in the bay: after striking out several times -- the a )s unveil their new billion dollar "field of dreams." why this ballpark proposal is different than the previous ones. ad lib over radar - ad lib over radar -

americans have made air wick number one for its scented oil warmer. with the best fragrance control available, for the perfect amount for any room, big... or small. now in limited editions holiday scents!

can the a )s latest stadium pitch be the "home run" fans are waiting for? that )s what many are asking ths morning - after the team unveiled what can only be called an ambitious plan for a new oakland home. the team yesterday showed off artist renderings of a 34-thousand seat, privately financed waterfront stadium near jack london square. it includes an elevated park with a sloping rooftop garden. the a )s also unveiled plans to revitalize the current coliseum site .. demolishing the stadium .. and turning the land into a housing and retail complex.

a rainy and windy start to your thursday morning. . right now at 4:30, a rainy and windy start to your thursday morning. this latest strong system continues to push through the bay area. you see our radar there, a lot of rain coming down. in fact, taking a live look outside, leave be behind quite a mess already. from downed trees to flooded roadways, power outages as well. the problems are pretty widespread throughout the area. we started early this morning, it's 4:30.