ranger, our mobile doppler radar. it is still well to the north of us, and off the coast. the countdown is on for the rain that will be arriving later this afternoon and getting heavier for this starts in the north bay. we're stopping the timeline at 1:30. you can see where it's yellow and starting to turn red, and that's where we are going to see that heavy rain rolling on through, especially later tonight. so i'll talk more about the impacts that we'll see across the bay area, that's coming up in a few minutes. mike, right now, just dry and very cold. there is an impact for the tri-valley and not from the weather but the overnight crew who is probably cold. looking at northbound 680 on the map, 84, i thought they were clearing lanes, should be clearing in the next few, but they are not yet there. that's why it's still slow on the approach. the counter-commute, slowing build at the castro valley. checking two crashes, possibly may be the same in san jose.

we'll check on that, laura. back to you. >> sounds good. let's get back to this approaching storm we're talking about this morning. we're getting ready for it. as kari hall mentioned, it is coming in strong and fast. >> and all this hour we have live coverage. we'll check in with kris sanchez and pete later to see how burn zones are preparing. first "today in the bay's" bob redell kicks off our coverage in danville, that's where the storm and the impact on outdoor dining which is just restarting. bob? >> reporter: good morning to you. we've actually moved to downtown pleasanton, one restaurant owner tells us they don't know if they could have gone a couple of more months if the outdoor dining that you see behind me wasn't allowed to resume. you'll recall yesterday governor newsom did lift the stay-at-home order for the state including the bay area, as you can see on this map right now. all nine counties have been moved back into the purple tier of reopening which means that outdoor dining, personal care

salons, outdoor wineries, outdoor zoos, those businesses are able to reopen. bars, indoor gyms, indoor museums, indoor movie theaters, those type of businesses must remain closed. a number of restaurants in pleasanton and throughout the bay reopened for outdoor dining immediately yesterday. and customers came in spite of the chilly temperatures. it's going to be interesting to see what happens later this week with this storm coming. i hear the owner of the side track owner and grill in pleasanton -- >> we're doing okay as a business. in terms. my employees getting paid, that's another story. >> there's been a financial burden. it's been on people, that's difficult, they're trying to make ends meet. hourly workers. >> reporter: the governor says among the reasons for lifting the order is that four weeks from now they predict that standard icu bed availability will be at or above 15%, that's a threshold that the state's been aiming for. the bay area right now is well above that. so again, back here live in

downtown pleasanton, you can see the tents behind me for people who want to come and outdoor dine, we hope it is enough that those tents will have people still coming in spite of the storm that's on its way. reporting live for "today in the bay." >> you're right. that could be just another expense for them if those get blown over. we are tracking that storm overnight. we'll have all the information you need when you wake up, as well. you know, we're going to go on early tomorrow morning, with the newscast at 4:00 a.m. to give you the latest overnight news and what to anticipate. and also when we're not on air, you can always get the forecast in your neighborhood any time with our free nbc bay area app. 6:03. researchers are keeping a close eye on a new brazil-based covid variant that's now in the united states. the first u.s. case was found in minnesota from someone who recently new strains, now appearing in parts of the u.s., it may spread faster.

it's not thought to make people any sicker. we've got a live look at sfo, as well. new covid-related travel bans taking effect today for international travelers headed to the united states. as of today, non-u.s. travelers from south africa, brazil, ireland, the uk, and most of continental europe are not allowed to enter. president biden's action reverses president trump's order made during his final days in office. president biden also upping the goal of vaccinating 100 million americans in 100 days by 50%. he hopes to get 150 million people vaccinated by the spring. a tall order with just over three million americans getting both doses so far. right now states are out of the vaccine. >> i think with the grace of god and a goodwill of the neighbor and the creek not rising as the saying goes, i think we'll get that to 150 -- 1.5 million a day

rather than 1 million a day. we have to meet that goal of a million a day. >> to reach that goal, the government is setting up more vaccination sites and hiring more people to administer the vaccine. he's asking congress for more than $400 billion to fund the effort. finding money to help struggling americans, meantime, to help businesses bounce back, that could take weeks. the white house and senate are negotiating. republicans argue biden's nearly $2 trillion plan is just too much. new vaccines are now reportedly being withheld from good samaritan hospital in the south bay. the hospital said it offered vaccines to teachers in los gatos after the school district raised money for frontline workers, but santa clara county says that goes against current vaccine policy. now according to the "san jose spotlight," new vaccines will be withheld unless good samaritan provides assurance its's following properly eligibility guidelines. those who received a first dose

will still receive that second dose. and a touching memorial in the east bay for those who have lost the battle to covid. 149 american flags are on display in the hayward city hall rotunda to honor those who in the city who have died from that disease. yesterday that building was also bathed in light with the message "we remember." it will also be projected for 149 hours or six days. for updates on the pandemic including cases and the vaccine, head to nbcbayarea.com. new details -- san jose police say a suspect they shot and killed last week was unarmed. officers apparently mistook a cell phone or a screwdriver for a gun when they confronted daniel tovar jr. near mckey road on thursday. he was wanted in connection for a homicide and two other shootings. officials say tovar was running from police and ignored orders

to stop when officers opened fire. the police chief who presided over one of the most controversial police killings in u.s. history is being considered to lead the san jose police department. according to the "mercury news," the minneapolis police chief is on the short list of candidates. he has led the department since 2018 including the deadly incident involving george floyd. video of floyd's death led to demonstrations across the united states and a national conversation on race in america. he's one of six finalists for that job which opened when chief eddie garcia retired and then became dallas police chief. side shows in oakland are getting bigger and more dangerous, and police say it's a disturbing trend. you just heard -- i think we're going to hear gunfire -- [ gunfire ] there we go. that's the gunfire. you can see folks running. oakland pd says about 600 cars and nearly 1,000 people showed

up to two side shows saturday night. they happened in downtown and the fruitvale. the next day officers found more than 200 rounds in nearby neighborhoods. no one was hurt. opd says because of budget cuts, there weren't enough officers on duty to break in up. in the past special teams have been in charge of cracking down on side shows. and as storm ranger is hard at work tracking the rain moving in, we want to give you a look at some of the snow that's already fallen in the bay area. take a look at that video. this is from nbc sky ranger over mt. hamilton yesterday. the observatory sits about 4,200 feet above sea level. this shows some of the snow that fell. kari, can we expect to see more snow in the bay area this week? yes, we could see some more. very heavy rain. as we look at what one computer

model is showing and the possibility of one to two inches of rain. wean that with atmospheric rivers, sometimes our values get rain shadowed and we see lesser amounts in spots like san jose while the coastal ranges wring out a lot of moisture and get much higher rainfall totals. that was the reason why officials are issuing those evacuation orders along the santa cruz mountains and the burn-scar areas near the czu fire. there could be debris flows as we're looking at the possibility of up to ten inches of rain in some areas. we'll talk more about how much rain, snow, as well as the high winds in the forecast. mike, you've been watching the roads this morning. anything that may slow people down? i did check out the two crashes reported for the south bay. for san jose turns out indeed they were one crash -- location looks like it's between tully and story road. you see a little slowing. by the time you pass the 680 interchange, everything comes back to speed past oakland road. a nice drive for the tri-valley.

still slow northbound 680 approaching 84, the overnight road crew should be clear if not cleared already. we'll track that. bay bridge shows a smooth, easy and. back to you. >> thank you so much. 6:09. essential workers are keeping america humming during the pandemic. how target is saying thank you to its workers. plus -- >> reporter: and some historic changes come to our money. i'll walk you through it coming up. the dow futures this morning looking good on wall street. more up arrows. what's up? >> what's up? >> what's up? >> plus, sitting out the super bowl this year. the reason some of those old standbys will not be advertising when kansas takes on tampa bay.

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that's like all the way back to 2010. they're jeans. they're leggings. they're jeggings! whoa. remove ten years of yellow stains with colgate optic white renewal. right now at 6:13, we are under a microclimate weather alert. let me show the snow in las vegas this morning. and h storm system that could bring in snow across the bay area as we start out with temperatures this morning cold enough to snow, but it's not here yet. we are feeling temperatures

below freezing in clear lake, napa, as well as san martine. we'll talk more about this in the forecast and the incoming rain that's coming up in a few minutes. i would not have bet on snow in vegas. but you can bet on this -- the volume of traffic through oakland on the nimitz is moving smoothly. the taillights heading north toward the maze and the bay bridge. we'll talk about that crash, though, an update for san jose coming up, as well. and good morning, very happy tuesday to you, as well. a former professor at berkeley is now our very first female treasury secretary. now this might not look historic as the senate took up the vote and overwhelmingly approved janet yellen as the new treasury secretary. 84-15. but it's historic, indeed. yellen comes to the job overwhelmingly qualified. she was the chair of the federal reserve for many years and the fed's policies during her time there helped move the american economy forward. she will be tasked with doing

that again, working with congress to pass a massive stimulus bill. her name will also go on the dollar. treasury secretaries goat do that. she won't be the first woman is on tine the dollar -- to sign the dollar, though. the other signature on money is the treasurer of the united states, and that has been a position held by a woman in an unbroken string of women, in fact, for decades now. speaking of money, what was sort of a quick, casual comment at yesterday's white house press briefing is making the news. the biden administration will pursue putting harriet tubman on the $20 bill. something that was proposed when obama was president and then president trump stood in the way of that. now biden has also supported that idea, so they'reng to do it anyway wasn't particularly startling. but the fact that that comment which is almost offhand sparked so many headlines, perhaps is a sign of how eager americans are to see it happen. we all know businesses are

getting -- aren't getting as much money as they need as they suffered through the pandemic. yesterday's lifting of some restrictions will help. but the economist i talked to said it's still true office jobs are doing okay. service jobs keep suffering. >> we are not out of the woods at all in terms of the recovery. one really concerning indicator is the furlough rate, the rate of employees at these small businesses that are temporarily laid off with the intention to call them back. but the rate has reached a level that we haven't seen since april. and that is a leading indicator of small business pain. they might furlough these workers before they lay them off permanently. and that escalation is a worrying sign. >> reporter: well, we'll end on pillow talk. mike lindel, the my business pillow guy, has been kicked off of twitter forever. earlier stores removed his items from stores. he kept posting inaccurate claims that president trump won

the election and other falsehoods that hurt america. now as to how he sleeps at night, i would assume quite comfortably. >> also not with a crick in his back. thank you. target is giving its essential workers a big new year's bonus. all hourly employees in stores, distribution centers, and target headquarters will receive an extra $500 as a thank you to those who keep them open, clean, and safe. this is the fourth bonus target has given out since the start of the pandemic. and while children have been stuck at home for the past year, toy have skyrocketed. sales of skateboards, lego's, and other playthings grew by over $25 billion in 2020. that's a 16% increase from 2019. the trade group releasing the data says once families were in lockdowns, despisable incomes shift -- disposable incomes shifted from other types of entertainment to toys. toy sales also spiked after the first federal stimulus checks were distributed.

>> we needed some bikes to get them outdoors and get them moving. all right. so who doesn't all talk about on the monday morning after the symbol? this year for the first time since 1983, anheuser-busch will not be advertising budweiser during the super bowl. instead, the iconic beer company is donating the money it would have spent on their budweiser ads to covid-19 vaccination efforts. anheuser-busch still plans to dead kalt four minutes of commercials -- dedicate four minutes of commercials to its other brands. super bowl lv is a couple of weeks away. now is the time to start planning your game day eve. doordash says forget the wings, across the country. that kind of surprised me. boneless wings take second place followed by chips and salsa, caesar's salads, and a pep

roney pizza -- pepperoni pizza. >> i love the guac and chips. a good go-to. >> yeah. >> my -- >> i guess i'm the only one that eats. >> no. no. i'm in awe. >> that's right. all right. maybe something warm for later this week. a good, hot cup. soup or at least coffee this morning. we've got the storms coming our way. finally going to feel like winter, kari. >> yes. and it definitely 's felt like winter this morning -- it's definitely felt like winter this morning. a lot of us waking up to temperatures below freezing. as for the rest of the day, the winds will pick up ahead of this storm that looks to bring us heavy rain into the evening. of course we've been talking about how much snow is going to be falling in the sierra. five-plus feet of snow. just unreal, really hard to imagine. while we are going to have some flood issues, especially in our

burn-scar areas and in our coastal mountains. looking at storm ranger right now, it's giving us the clean sweep, showing us that we have a little bit more time to prepare for this rain that is still well to the north of us. but then once it starts to move to, it's going to dump some really heavy rain, and it hasn't yet made it into that far northern corner of california. but here we are at 2:00, and we see the rain filling in. if you have the nbc bay area app, you'll get alerts as the rain moves in. i like to set my plants in the yard so they get more rain. we're going to get lots of downpours. on the timeline, we're at midnight tonight and going into early tomorrow morning. still really heavy rain coming down. then it becomes more scattered. but there still could be some pockets of some heavy rain moving through. not only through tomorrow but thursday, as well, before this all wraps up heading into friday. and during this time frame, we're looking at heavy amounts of rainfall. we could see anywhere from one

to possibly over three inches of rain in spots. and then along the coastline and in our hills, we could see rainfall totals over ten inches. but then for the sierra, we've been talking about over the next week how much snow may be coming that way. and we've only measured in parts of the sierra about 40% of our normal amount of snowfall. but it looks like we could make up for a lot of that going into the next week with several feet of snow on the way. and we don't have to go to the sierra to see some snow. we could see it on our bay area hills once again going into wednesday as the cold air drops in. some of our peaks could get some more snow coming up. we'll talk more about all this. mike, what are you seeing for the morning commute? i'm see something slower spots which are actually starting to improve. we'll take you out to the map and show you mostly green all over as we become accustomed to see. in the south bay, north 101, the crash between tully and story, it's cleared from the middle lane, and the speed sensors were

showing slowdowns until just about two minutes ago. looks much better now. a little slowing at oakland road. that's that same kind of pack of cars there. we have a pack of cars clearing as the crew cleared north 680, completely cleared at 84, and good, quick recovery for the tri-valley. getting toward the brooklyn bridge, no delays -- bay bridge, no delays. and a live look shows a steady flow across the span. back to you. >> hope it stays that way. thanks. 6:22. coming up next, nbc bay area responds. >> reporter: how do you sign up for a covid-19 vaccine? we'll walk you through the process and key questions.

we want to show you how to sign up for a covid-19 vaccine. the process varies a bit by county. but there video will give you a general idea of the three big steps you need to follow. first, public health departments are announcing who's eligible by age, risk, or group. so we recommend subscribing to email alerts from public health, and following them on social media. step two, make contact with the heth care provider. if you're already a patient of a big health system, places like kaiser, stanford, or palo alto medical foundation, contact them. if you're not, public health will tell you how and where to sign up. the counties have lists on line. here's santa clara counties. each box is a link to get you started. and that takes us to step three -- you have to schedule an

appointment. you might need to create an online account and answer questions about your eligibility. once you're eligible and a slot is open, you should be set. remember, the current covid-19 vaccins require two shots. ask about scheduling your second shotment a lot will change when the state rolls out a new partial called my turn. the governor's office says it's expected to be available statewide in early february. when it's running, we'll show you how it works. and trending this morning, breaking the glass ceiling on the nba floor. monday night charlotte/orlando game was the first time two women referees officiated the same nba game. natalie sago andean wright as t three-person crew for the hornets/magic game. the league has five full-time women referees right now. the super bowl will have a woman on its officiating crew for the first time -- her name is sarah

thomas. back to our top story -- the approaching storm and the impact on the bay area including san francisco. halting some covid vaccine operations. we'll have all the details next. and kari hall, this storm is packing quite a punch. >> it is. we are expecting some high winds and heavy rain as it moves in later on this afternoon into the evening. it lasts quite a while. we'll go through the timeline and how much rain you can expect coming up. and thousands of renters are on the verge of losing their home. up next, the governor's new plan to help renters and landlords make it in the bay. i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love,... more adventure,... more community. but with my hiv treatment,...

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it's effective, i'd say it's life changing. my my name is nefertiri and noom worked for me. visit noom.com and lose the weight for good. lindell. right now at 6:30, the bay area awaiting a powerful storm arriving in just hours. storm ranger is set up on the left and in the upper right, the storm just off the coast for the moment. for thousands of people living in recent wildfire burn zones, there's no time to waste. they're told to leave due to concerns over flash flooding. those concerns are stretching from the mountains to the downtown areas of the bay area. many businesses reopened for the first time in weeks. we have live coverage of the ne. "today in the bay" continues right now. a good tuesday to you.

i'm cierra johnson in for marcus washington. >> i'm laura garcia. we'll check the commute with mike in a little bit. first, definitely want to check in with kari. he's got the timeline of the incoming storm. we are getting ready for some heavy rain by this afternoon into the evening. we're starting out very cold this morning. freezing temperatures in a lot of our valleys. the winds pick up by this afternoon. up to 50 miles per hour. heavy rain, most of us getting one to three inches. there may be spots up to ten inches of rain. a lot of snow for the sierra as well as flooding issues. we'll talk more about that coming up. mike, any issues for the commute? yeah. new issue just as that crew was clearing for the tri-valley. on the map northbound 680 still shows slowing heading up toward the sunol boulevard exit. i believe the off-ramp is what's really affected by the crash. then not a major impact, but

still that little bits going on for the tri-valley. the rest of the bay does show a smooth drive. the bay bridge toll plaza is clear. we're looking at the san mateo bridge, toll plaza is clear, a good volume across the bay. back to you. >> thank you so much. this incoming storm has the potential to impact a lot of people here in the bay area. >> that's right. and we're getting you ready with our live coverage. we'll start with kris sanchez live in the santa cruz mountains. lots of people are already being told to leave their homes this morning. >> reporter: yeah. where we are now, if it seems familiar, this was base camp for august. five months later, this is one of the evacuation points where people can come to get information. and they're the same people who were forced from their homes with really not much more than what they could carry in their own cars. we know the areas now under evacuation orders. if you look at the map here, red is under evacuation order.

the areas in yellow, they are under an evacuation warning. santa cruz county sheriff's deputies went door to door telling people in the most vulnerable areas to get out. they're flashing signs at the highway warning people as they drive into boulder creek. we talked with one family down the hill from one of the burn scars that are vulnerable to flooding and debris flows and landslides. they're at the same hotel where they stayed for a month while the czu fire threatened their home this summer. >> nobody wants to leave their house again. you leave your us on, you don't know what you're coming back to. >> be safe, anybody on in our community, be safe. listen to what the sacrifice has to say. >> reporter: that family is hoping to return by the weekend once the storm passes. if their home are two others, n

lorenzo high, one at pacific elementary. these are just meeting points for information, there is no overnight shelter here. by the way, after santa cruz sheriff's deputies finished making sure that everybody is making it out safely, they're going to stay to make sure looters cannot get in. "today in the bay." the north bay is on high alert for the possibility of flash flooding. we have more on all of that. good morning, pete. >> reporter: good morning to you. yeah, as you mentioned there, the storm is going to have an immediate impact on the few day. specifically it will impact those testing sites. depending on where you're at, those times could vary. we know there's going to be early closures for testing sites in san francisco, specifically

in partillo hill. the testing site will also close at noon. they'll reopen on thursday, hopefully when the storm passes. now this comes as a flash flood watch is in place in the north bay, along with the current freeze warning. businesses like restaurants and gyms in san francisco which are finally reopening for the -- in the outdoors, they'll have to deal with elements, as well. >> i have to be optimistic, otherwise i would have closed the doors. thankfully we have a landlord working with us. >> reporter: typical storm preps will be in place with catch basins being cleared out as well as flood barriers along 17th and fulsome. as far as the covid testing sites, the times will vary. check with the city's website for the latest updates. reporting live, "today in the bay." >> thank you, pete. we will be tracking the storm overnight. we will have all of the information you need when you wake up. we're going on with an early

morning newscast, that's going to begin at 4:00 tomorrow. when we are not on air, you can always get your forecast for your neighborhood any time with our nbc bay area app. with the lifting of the statewide stay-at-home restrictions, all bay area counties are now waking up in the purple tier. here's a look at what's allowed to open and what's not. outdoor dining can resume, outdoor dining, hair and nail salons can reopen with modifications, along with wineries and zoos. bars, indoor gyms, indoor museums, and indoor movie theaters must remain closed. and here are icu bed projections for the entire state by region over the next month. they're all above the 15% threshold. two weeksr california today reshuffles the priority list when it comes to covid vaccine distribution. top priority will now be based on your age. everyone 65 years and older will stay at the top of the list,

along with frontline health care workers. other essential workers including first responders, food, and agriculture works and teachers will slide back until the first phase is complete. it's likely those over 50 will be next in line. the state's top doctor, mark daily, will outline the new plan today at noon. more vaccine details for you. johnson & johnson's vaccine is now in the late stages of the clinical trials. stanford medical center is one place it's being tested. johnson & johnson says if the vaccine receives emergency approval, the rollout could begin as soon as march with 100 million doses available in the first month. one stanford health doctor conducting the trial is hopeful about the possible game changer. >> the study we're doing as a it also doesn't any unusual storage conditions. doesn't need deep freezing. it's easier to ship. easier to produce.

>> could be a win-win. the cdc says 41 million doses have been distributed to states so far. little more than half have already been given out with states holding back doses for the required second dose. 6:37 now. suddenly a new lifeline for renters struggling to make it in the bay. it may take a major step forward thursday when state lawmakers plan to vote on a bill to better protect them. governor newsom announced the measure yesterday. it would extend the state's current eviction moratorium until june. it would also provide up to 80% unpaid rent forgiveness for those hit hardest during the pandemic. some housing advocates argue the measure has too many loopholes. they plan to air their grievances later today. and with the lifting of that stay-at-home order, the sharks are coming home. they've been playing and they've now been cleared to play at the s.a.p. center.

so far no fans will be allowed. first home game is scheduled for next monday against the vegas golden knights. >> can't wait to see them come back to the s.a.p. that's our top story -- the weather. what you can get done this morning before this big storm rolls in. kari? we've got a few more hours to prepare. but we are expect something big impacts as the storm moves from north to south, especially hitting other parts of the bay area by this afternoon. i'll be tracking it with the timeline and how much rain you can expect coming up in the microclimate forecast. >> reporter: outdoor dining finally able to resume here in the bay area. the impact this incoming storm could have on trying to lure customers back. >> reporter: also new presidential promises on vaccines. we'll take a look at the billboard this morning where stocks are up. we are solid in the middle of

earnings season for silicon valley.

good tuesday morning. it is 6:42. we are under a microclimate weather alert as high winds and avenue are rain expected to move in this evening. the high wind warning far the coastal mountains and hills will be in effect starting at 7:00 this evening. while the valleys wl be under a wind advisory.

winds reaching up to 30 miles per hour. we'll talk about the timeline of the rain and how mhuc you can expect coming up in a few minutes. right now it's calm. though you see the dry roadways in the north bay, san rafael. we're still watching for changes. kari's going to warn you about that tomorrow. i have two bridges and updates for traffic flow across those coming up. all right. we'll check back with you, mike. 6:43. president biden has promised a million americans a day will get vaccinated. >> scott mcgrew, he may be lowballing that number? >> reporter: yeah, it may be too low of a bar. good morning to you. it probably feels very different if you're waiting for your turn, you're waiting for a vaccine. and we've seen a lot of evidence of dysfunction in the process. but checking various covid dashboards, we are pretty close to that million number already. here's the president. >> so i'm quite confident that

we will be in a position within the next three weeks or so to be vaccinating people at the range of -- of a million a day, in excess of that. >> reporter: again, that may be a lowball number. president biden hadefore he was president. but that was when the goal seemed much more unlikely. 100 million shots in his first 100 days. the senate has approved janet yellen as the next treasury secretary. the first time a woman has held that post. he is, of course, well -- she is, of course, well qualified. she was previously head of the federal reserve. normally we would talk more about the current white house more than the previous white house we would, just the way we talked about trump more than we did obama when it was trump's first 100 days. but they weren't impeaching obama for the second time in the middle of all that. today, senators will be sworn in for donald trump's second impeachment scheduled to start in early february, the trial. if found guilty, under normal

circumstances, the president would be removed from office. of course, donald trump is not the president. and that's led some to argue that the trial is pointless. but america has held impeachment trials for someone after they left office before. it wasn't a president, but there is precedent. here's senate majority leader chuck schumer explaining why it would not make sense to him to just let this all go. >> it makes show sense what so -- no sense whatsoever that a president or any official could commit a heinous crime against our country and defeat congress' impeachment powers by simply resigning so as says to avoid accountability and a vote to disequal final them from future -- disqualify them from future office. >> reporter: mitch mcconnell has agreed to lets things move forward in the senate. he stopped insisting democrats keep the filibuster in place. this is a significant step back for mcconnell, though he's not framing it that way. the senate has set its rules in such a way that you need 60 senators to vote yes to have a

vote on anything. it's supposed to encourage debate, but it really stopped the senate in doing much in the recent past. now this agreement they've reached doesn't get rid of eth filibuster, but it doesn't guarantee it's not going to get rid of it either. we're watching that carefully, of course. we're also responding to all of your comments and ideas. you can find me on twitter and facebook. on twitter i'm @scottmcgrew. >> thank you. banking leaders will fld questions today from state senators in connections to the fraud fiasco at the employment development department. they'll probably talk about how easy it was for folks to obtain debit cards preloaded with thousands of dollars early in the pandemic. in many cases, fraudulently. they'll also talk abo the jobless claims frozen out of their accounts. want new count finds perhaps 10% of all of california claims or $11 billion worth are bogus. 6:46.

the governor's announcement to lift stay-at-home orders is a huge relief for people here in the bay area and in southern california. in l.a. county, restaurants can reopen outdoor dining on friday. for the first time since thanksgiving. the curfews will be lifted friday, as well. other businesses like hair and nail salons can also reopen immediately. southern california has been a covid epicenter with more than three million cases and 37,000 deaths. the state is implementing some changes aimed at helping businesses survive the pandemic. california is extending its income tax deadline by three months for small businesses what file less than a million dollars this sales tax. in the meantime, companies filing up to $5 million will have access to existing interest and penalty-free payment agreements. governor newsom says the move will save small businesses billions of dollars during the pandemic. small businesses who qualify can get up to $25,000 in relief to

keep their doors open through the state's half a billion dollar covid relief program, as well. it is 6:47 now. live look at the oakland skyline right now. small businesses that just got that green light to reopen may have to turn around and brace now for the incoming storms. >> "today in the bay's" bob redell is live in pleasanton, will keep customersaway. >> reporter: you got to feel for these restaurant owners. yesterday they were finally able to resume outdoor dining, and a lot of customers did show up in spite of the chilly temperatures. you've got the storm coming in tonight, and the challenge is going to be are these tents going to be enough to still lure the customers back as you've been mentioning. governor newsom lifted the stay-at-home order for the entire state, including the nine counties in the bay area which you can see on this map, all nine counties here in our area are now back in the purple tier of reopening. this means that outdoor dining, personal care salons, outdoor

wineries, outdoor zoos, they can reopen. bars, indoor gyms, indoor museums, indoor movie theaters, those type of businesses must remain closed. a number of restaurants here in pleasanton and throughout the bay reopened outdoor dining immediately yesterday. as i mentioned, customers came. here the owner of the sidetrack bar and grill in pleasanton. >> we're doing okay as a business. but in terms of my employees getting paid, that's another story. >> there's been a financial burden that's been placed on people, that's difficult, that they're trying to make ends meet. hourly workers. >> reporter: governor newsom says among the reasons for lifting the order is that four weeks from now standard icu beds availability is predicted to be at or above 15% which is the threshold that they want for the bay area right now, it's well above that. reporting live here in pleasanton, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> thank you, bob.

>> thank you. and he mentioned that rain and the cold. just how much rain are we going to get? i know we have a rocky looking forecast finish -- rocky looking forecast for the next couple of days. i know the rain is all we're talking about, but i starting out below freezing in a lot of our valleys. we're right now at 30 in santa rosa. 25 in clear lake. it's 30 in morgan hill. 30 also in livermore. after this cold start, it is still dry. we are going to be watching the storm system coming in with storm ranger, the storm off the coast. as it quickly approaches, we'll see our weather going downhill very quickly. of course, this is some much-needed rain as we look at the timeline, we're at 2:30 this afternoon, starting to see some of the heavier lane moving into parts of the north bay. and then spreading across the bay area. we see reds and yellows and oranges, that indicates some

very intense rain. we may also see some high winds. we're going through early tomorrow morning where we start to see the rain tapering off just a little bit. then it just kind of ramps back up as we go into tomorrow afternoon and into the evening with some pockets of heavy rain, then thursday we'll continue to see the rain chances continuing with the possibility of some thunderstorms in the mix. we have a lot going on here over the next several days. and some of our rainfall totals may be toppingro one inch to possibly three, even higher. and for the santa cruz mountains, we're looking at the potential of getting over ten inches of rain. we know that these atmospheric rivers can really wring out a lot of moisture for some of the upper elevations, and that's the reason why we do see those evacuation warnings going up around the czu burn scars. you want to make sure you're aware of that, as well as the snow forecast for the sierra. they're saying don't even bother

traveling here right now. look at how much snow we have in the forecast. unreal to see this on the computer model, showing 98 inches of snow over the next week. i mean, that's just crazy, mike. so of course we just want to stay home and try to stay safe in this storm. we'll watch those shots you show us of the beautiful snow from our warm homes. let's look at the roadways, folks, as we look at the bay bridge toll plaza. pretty cool. it's cool outside, of course, but an easy drive across the span. no back up at the toll plaza, though was concerned as we look at the map. at treasure island there was a disabled vehicle blocking one lane. it quickly crewed. mild slowing across the span. we're looking toward 680, 584, with a little build. the rest with a smoother drive. east 84, the dunbarton bridge may have a solid go for a while.

happening now, we're finding out there anthony fauci is the highest government employee. the top adviser makes $417,000 a year. more than the president's salary of $400,000. he's one of three doctors who work for health and human services who make more than the president. it's 6:53 now. coming up next, a quick look at top stories including more on that storm that's barreling toward us right now. and the impact it's already having on some people living in some of the most prone areas to get damaged -- these burn-scar areas of the santa cruz mountains. we'll have more on that when we come back.

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prepaid card when you upgrade. switch today. 6:56. welcome back. you're watching "today in the bay." begin with a live look around the bay area. the calm before the storm. happening today, the powerful system, is arriving with an atmospheric river behind it. >> let's go to kris sanchez live in the santa cruz mountains where some people are already packing up and heading out. good morning, kris. >> reporter: good morning to you. a lot of these folks are the same people who had to leave during the czu fires in august. and now the homes that are all right standing from that fire are at risk once again.

about 5,000 people were either ordered to leave their homes or warned that they'd have to leave immediately if the incoming storm triggers flooding, debris flows, and landslides in the area that was burned by the czu fire five months ago. >> stressful, but it's the better thing to do. we're going to be safe. >> reporter: we are at the scotts valley community center, there's another at san lorenzo high and another at pacific elementary. these are meeting points, but there is no overnight shelter here. you can find everything you need at nbcbayarea.com. now to more on the impact the storm could have on the effort to vaccinate and test people for covid. >> reporter: yeah, that's right. this incoming storm is going to impact the city's overall response to the coronavirus pandemic. specifically when it comes to the testing sites around san francisco. we know there's going to be some early closures around the city. some of them closing this afternoon and reopening later

this week. of course, we can't forget the impact this will have on businesses such as gyms and restaurants, that are resuming outdoor business as the city lifts the stay-at-home order. for those coast testing sites and -- covid testing sites and changes, check with the city website for any changes. reporting live for "today in the bay." >> beautiful vista there, pete. well, take a look at this. sin city has turned into snow city. they had a downfall there. that's a live look at las vegas right now. gets pretty cold in the desert. that with the mix of a storm coming through gets all that snow coming down. and we're going to have a look of that, as well, in the tahoe area where kari is telling us between now and the the weekend we could be out sledding. you're saying -- i mean, tons of snow up there. up to six feet? >> yeah. yeah. five, six, seven feet, in some of those resorts. the problem will be getting there.

and we'll even see snow on some of the bay area hills. of course, we can't get there either. as we get a look at all of the rain that's headed our way. we're going to see it continuing through early friday. only looks like we have a brief break between early saturday and into the afternoon. you'll want to make sure you have the nbc bay area app. you'll get alerts, and tell send you information no matter where you are. and you'll also get the latest news. so download the nbc bay area app. and mike, you've been watching the roads. how's it looking? right now i do have an update for one of our bridges. it will probably be in place for hours. look at the map. it's green censors that are great but eastbound, the dunbarton bridge heading away from east palo alto toward fremont and newark, a disabled vehicle near the highrise. it will be blocking one rain until a crew it clear that. that may be a couple of hours. we're watching that. but the peninsula does show you calm roadways now. watch for that to change for tomorrow morning. >> that's right.

and you know, we are tracking the storm overnight. we're going to have all the information you need when you wake up. we're all getting up early. and we're going on early with the newscast at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow new york. please join us. good morning. breaking news, a large tornado cut a path of destruction across alabama overnight. >> there is a car flipped up in the tree. >> crews racing to find and free people still trapped in the rubble. while winter storms bring a treacherous mix of snow and ice to 100 million people from coast to coast. >> it is a mess, absolute mess out here. >> we'll have the very latest on the dangerous weather. al is tracking it all. lofty goal. president biden vows the covid vaccine will be available to anyone who wants it by spring.