right now at 4:30, calm before the storm. live look in san jose and san francisco. it is a chilly and clear start this morning. an atmospheric river is taking aim at the bay area. the storm is set to bring strong winds, rain, and snow. this is already leading to evacuations in some communities. "today in the bay" starts right now. >> good tuesday morning. thank you so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> we'll start with kari hall who's timing this all out.

kari? >> good morning. we are in a microclimate weather alert ahead of the changes that we'll see as we head into the next 36 hours. it starts out with a dry morning for us. we have a little bit more time to prepare for this heavy rain that's set to move in later today. the storm, this atmospheric river that we've been talking about, still off the coast, and will get a boost from all of the moisture that is picking up over parts of the pacific. we are going to see as we go into today that rain filling in, moving from north to south across the bay area. some of the heaviest rain arrives tonight. we'll talk more about that, as well as what you can expect coming up in a few minutes. sierra? >> thank you. people living in burn scarred areas of the mountains are bracing for a possible punch from tonight's arriving storms. deputies spent yesterday warning people to evacuate. look at the areas in red under the evacuation order. this is along the san mateo,

santa cruz area. areas in yellow are under the evacuation, and areas in blue right there, it's an advisory. ian kohl with more from the santa cruz mountains. >> reporter: the depriestus family knows the drill. forced to leave home once again. >> nobody wants to leave their house again. nobody wants -- you know, you leave your house, you don't know what you're coming back to. >> reporter: they evacuated last summer during the czu lightning complex fire that threatened homes. now incoming rain will make all of that burned area unstable. it's right above their house, and the hill could slide down on top of it. >> they had called and told us there was a mandatory evacuation, and so we called the hotel we were at the last time and said, well, we're coming back for a couple of days. >> reporter: the next door neighbors are evacuating, too. they moved here just one year ago. >> it's rough. >> reporter: worth it? >> yes. i will take anything to live i

this area no mter what. it's stressful, but it's the better thing to do. we're going to be safe. >> reporter: flashing signs warn people entering boulder creek sheriff's deputies are going door to door telling people to get out, they'll also patrol the area for looters, but the main worry is the potential for damaging rain. >> we are still looking at a significant weather event. it should be coming in in the tuesday time period through thursday. >> reporter: last time they were gone one month. now they hope to return by the weekend if it's still standing. >> be safe, anybody in our community. please be safe. you know, get out and listen to what the sheriff has to say. >> reporter: ian kohl, "today in the bay." we will be tracking the storm overnight and will have the information when you wake up. we're also going on the air early tomorrow at 4:00 a.m. so stay with "today in the bay" for complete coverage of the microclimate weather alert. and when we're not on air, you can get weather updates in your neighborhood on our nbc bay area

app. a live look at the san francisco skyline. businesses are preparing to reopen orders. counties are waking up in the purple tier. that means businesses including outdoor dining, hair and nail salons, can reopen with restrictions. with more icu beds available and the spread rate dropping, some argue more restrictions could be lifted including dining and gym working out indoors. the owner of one san francisco gym is hopeful that will change soon. >> to reopen indoors at 10% capacity in three weeks. so for us that's about five people. >> like restaurants, gyms must operate outdoors under the purple tier. one-on-one personal training is also allowed. even though the governor lifted the stay-at-home order, health leaders are still urging people to stay local. the travel recommendation is to

not going -- not go more than 120 miles from home and avoid nonessential travel altogether. here are the icu predictions over the next month, they're all above 15% threshold. two weeks ago, we were near 5%, and suddenly a new lifeline for renters struggling to make it in the bay. it may be a major step toward thursday. that's when state lawmakers plan to vote on a bill to better protect them. governor newsom announced the measure yesterday. it would extend the current moratorium until june. it would provide up to 80% unpaid rent forgiveness for those hit hardest during the pandemic. some housing advocates argue that the measure has too many loopholes. they plan to air their grievances later today. well, happening today, san francisco school leaders will discuss a push to formally rename 44 city schools. the panel is recommending the changes take place. it says the namesakes are problematic given their historical legacies.

according to "the examiner," some of the schools under the resolution mission, george washington high schools, jefferson and francis scott key elementary schools, and james denman middle school. the board plans to vote on whether to support the recommendations at its meeting this afternoon. we're all talking about the rain that's coming our way. our storm ranger is being put to the test this week as it tracks this big incoming storm. here's a live look outside in oakland where it is clear for now, but that will soon change later today. a live look in the sierra, as well, which is set to get so much snow from the system that is moving in. kari hall is timing it all out for us this morning. this is a big, juicy one coming. >> absolutely. and we need it at this point. we just don't want it all at once, right. we are going to have huge impacts from this atmospheric river moving in, and this is what we're expecting -- the cold start to our morning. we've seen temperatures in the

30s as you get ready to head out the door. and as we go into today, the winds start to pick up, and some of those gusts may reach 20 to 50 miles per hour, even higher in some of i later that evening, and for the sierra looking at several feet of snow possibly over five feet as we go through the week. and also those isolated flood issues, especially in those burn-scar areas. we will continue to watch all of this with more updates throughout the morning. as of now, we are starting out with a quiet morning, but we'll be tracking that storm hour by hour as it comes in. i'll have another update coming up in a few minutes. >> sounds good. we'll check back. 4:37. one year later. still ahead on "today in the bay," reflecting on the life and legacy of the late kobe bryant. and the push for new state laws following the deadly chopper crash that took his life. combating misinformation.

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good tuesday morning. we're starting out clear, but we're setting the stage with a cold storm coming in and freezing temperatures this morning from the south county to the north bay. it's starting out very cold with some upper 20s and low 30s. we'll get a look at when that rain arrives and what's ahead for you in the forecast coming up.

>> reporter: over my shoulder, we see the sensors slowing. the east shore freeway, breaking news. our vision plan doesn't let us see that far north, must north of the curve. we'll track the headlights. right now we'll check in with don. good morning, i am from cnbc global headquarters. wall street is set for a mixed open this morning as investors gear up for a busy day of earnings reports. the dow slipping yesterday, but the s&p 500 reversed early losses to close at a new record high. the nasdaq also rising for a fifth straight day, closing at a new record high. in focus today, we've got reports on home prices and consumer confidence, and the federal reserve kicks off a two-day policy meeting, as well. we also get results from no less than five dow members including 3m, american express, johnson & johnson, microsoft, and verizon among other reports slated for

the day. twitter has launched a pilot program allowing users to flag tweets they believe are misleading and add notes for context. the project is called bird watch, and it's only being tested for now with about 1,000 people. they will write posts flagging possible misinformation, but their notes will only be visible on the bird watch page, at least for now. twitter says it eventually plans to have up to 100,000 so-called bird watchers on a rolling basis. and get this -- amazon has introduced a new feature that will allow alexa to proactively complete tasks around the house like turning the lights on and off, and it's base your habits and frequent requests. alexa has been able to sense these habits and ask about them for years, collecting all kind of data on that in what the company calls hunches. before this update it would ask for permission before acting. now alexa will just skip the asking and just do it. those are the latest headlines from cnbc.

laura and sierra, can you imagine a computer doing everything around the house because it thinks it's what you want? over to you. >> that's right. >> what a time to be alive. >> cue the music. it is pretty handy to have it turn off and on my lights. i like it. thanks, dom. 4:43. getting to the bottom of billions in bogus claims at the edd as genuine claims are left frozen. coming up next on "today in the bay," a look at some of the answers expected from those closest to the cash flow.

very good tuesday morning to you. maybe the calm before the storm as we take a live look outside. san jose and san francisco. yes, a big juicy one headed our way. storm ranger up and running. kari up and running, as well. you will be even more so later today because that's when this thing's coming in. >> yes. later today. and really hits us later tonight with some of the heavier rain and gusty winds. as we start out with a look at the wind advisory that we have, of course the winds increasing today could have downed trees and power impacts for later this evening as it starts up at 7:00 and continues through early tomorrow morning. now the areas shaded in yellow are included in the wind

advisory where winds will be slightly lower than what we'll see along the coast and into hills, reaching possibly up to 70 miles per hour during this timeline. so we start out with the rain in the north bay at about 1:30 this afternoon. getting heavier as we go into this evening. when we start to see the reds and the yellows here, look at the time. it is 10:30 tonight. so this is when the storm really gets to ramping up, and it continues through the overnight hours into early tomorrow. and then we see some breaks in the rain. but there still will be some pockets of heavy downpours, especially throughout the day tomorrow into the afternoon. and this continues into thursday. so this will be a prolonged rain event with some of that rain off and on. and during this time, we're looking at rainfall totals that are possibly reaching anywhere from one to two inches. there may be some spots in the santa cruz mountains that get up to ten inches of rain. and so with that, that's the reason why they're putting up those evacuation orders, as well as watching those burn-scar

ea only in the s but also in pae next couple of days once the heavy rain gets here. and for the sierra, the models have been just off the charts with how much rain and snow we could see there. definitely transitioning to snow very soon as kirkwood could see possibly up to 98 inches of snow. i don't know if i've ever seen that much on one computer model. we'll have to watch out for. for the rain, it may taper off with thunderstorms moving out friday. saturday is the only dry day in the forecast before another storm comes in on saturday afternoon. mike, you'll be watching a lot for the roads. how's it looking right now? >> right now, the calm i guess. calmer in berkeley where we had a traffic alert. the breaking news now is the fact that they've reopened all lanes of westbound 80. that's the east shore freeway as we show the clear drive.

it's over here, the east shore freeway, westbound. has that slowing past golden gate field. again, the last few seconds they've reopened all lanes and canceled the traffic alert coming through the area out of richmond. the san rafael to richmond bridge. a smooth drive get the toll play bridge. a calm scene acrossing from oakland to san francisco. back to you. >> thank you. the city of los angeles not planning to hold a formal tribute marking one year since the death of basketball ledgent kobe bryant, but that's partly due to the pandemic. they fear large numbers of people will gather. bryant's helicopter went down in a patch of fog in los angeles one year ago, carrying him, his daughter, and seven others. one year later, the crash is still inspiring legislation. yesterday senator dianne feinstein reintroduced a bill named for the bryant requiring warning and terrain imaging systems on helicopters carrying six or more people.

people are reminded of bryant and his daughter gigi every day at one l.a. fitness center. the outdoor-only facility has a mural displaying the pair with angel wings and his lifelong philosophy remains alive. >> definitely mamba mentality. just going as hard as you can for what you believe. >> there are other reasons being cited for not holding a big tribute today. many say the hurt is still too real and may cause more pain than healing. torchlths a followup. a judge has approved more than $17 million for the sexual harassment and assault victims of harvey weinstein. the company filed for bankrupt but was purchased by a dallas-based company. in october, weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in new york. he still faces six more sexual assault charges in los angeles. 4:50 now. and interview blender.

coming up next, the must-see moment a top ceo was interrupted on live tv by his son. recovering after covid. tom brady's parents reveal what their battle was like and how they're doing this morning. and happening now, we're finding out dr. anthony fauci is the highest paid federal employee. a new report by openthebooks.com says the head of the fight against covid-19 makes $417,000 a year, that's more than the president's salary of $400,000. he's one of three doctors who worked for the health and human services that makes more than the president. federal employees' salaries are usually capped at xction exists salaries for doctors and scientists more competitive with the private sector. we'll be right back.

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leaders will field questions from state senators in connection with the fraud fiasco at the employment development department. they'll talk about how easy it was for people to obtain debit cards preloaded with thousands of dollars early in the pandemic. in many cases, fraudulently. they'll also talk about the jobless claims now frozen on their accounts. a new count this week find perhaps 10% of californians claim over $11 billion worth are bogus. >> the governor's sudden announcement of easing covid-19 restrictions has people in southern california happy. in l.a. county, restaurants can reopen outdoor dining on friday for the first time since thanksgiving. the curfew will be lifted friday, as well. other businesses like hair and nail salons can reopen immediately. southern california has been an epicenter for the covid-19

outbreak with more than four million cases and 37,000 deaths. with bay area living legend tom brady getting ready for his tenth super bowl, new revelations from his father about how stressful brady's move to tampa really was. tom sr. tells espn him and his wife both endured covid last summer, and tom sr. was in the hospital for three weeks. it got so bad they missed even seeing tampa bay's first two games of the season. he says instead he was facing issues of life and death. both have now fully recovered. trending an interview on cnn didn't go as planned when a special guest decided to crash the segment. take a look. >> who's this -- >> he wants to go to bed. >> the ceo of travago was just about to enter richard quest's question when his 7-year-old son burst into the room.

victor plead being his father that it was -- pleading with his father tha was time for bed. he eventually put victor onlast the end of the interview. i love that he's wearing his jammies there. precious. >> exactly. probably like, come read me a book. time for bed. >> got the routine down. >> it made the segment fun and very real. believe me. well, it's 4:56. it's going to get real around here very fast. bracing for a week of wind and rain. coming up next on "today in the bay," our team is live tracking this major incoming storm. we'll talk about the evacuations already being put in place in some areas and the impact the storm is having on newly reopened outdoor dining. plus, travelers, beware. the all new rules starting today at airports across the nation.

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can lose before burnout, so we've taken away 50 feet of visibility from this walk home. don't wait until your headlight bulbs burn out. switch to sylvania, the #1 automotive lighting brand, and see better tonight. right now at 5:00, rain, wind, and more snow. a live look across the bay area where it's cold and clear for now. a major storm is moving in, leading to some evacuations already. get out and listen to what the sheriff has to say. >> ahead, homeowners in the santa cruz mountains being told to get out now. plus, the impact the wild weather is now having on just reopened outdoor dining. "today in the bay" continues right now.

it's tuesday morning. thanks so much for starting it out with us. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm cierra johnson in for marcus washington. first let's start with meteorologist kari hall who's timing this all out. a lot going on. >> yes. we have the approach of the atmospheric river. our first event in quite a while. as it approaches, it starts to bring in some heavy rain first for the north bay, then spreading to the rest of the bay area later this afternoon and into the evening. and it's going to continue for several hours, even into tomorrow and thursday, wrapping occupy friday. we're looking at heavy rainfall, high winds along with big snow in parts of the sierra. we'll talk more about all of this in the forecast coming up in a few minutes. mike, you're also following breaking news. yeah. you've got the whole next couple of days planned ahead. i've got mine with a change on the east shore freeway.

the crash has cleared. so have all the slow spots as you're passing by golden gate field. there's the live look. the map shows where the arrow is. we had a lot of slowslowing. it was affecting the merge, the richmond bridge, eastbound 580, that has cleared. no back up at the bay bridge toll plaza. green all around. good start for most commutes. a live look across the bay area. we've issued a microclimate weather alert due to the incoming storm. the timing not so great for many restaurants. they're just resuming their outdoor dining. >> they need people to come. "today in the bay," and bob, they wasted no time in the stay-at-home heard, trying to get things moving. >> reporter: right. yeah. one restaurant owner tells us they don't know if they could have survived even two more months if the stay-at-home order wasn't lifted. yesterday, the governor in what seemed like a sde