miley cyrus and pete will host. >> that should be fun with those two. freezing temperatures across the bay area. our team issuing a microclimate weather alert as we wake up to frigid weather. meteorologist, vianey arana, tracking how long it will last. plus -- >> seeing how hard it was for some folks to get a test this weekend shows there's more to do. >> if you are looking for a covid test, you are not alone. the new promise the white house is making to ensure everybody has access to a covid test. this is "today in the bay." here we go, tuesday morning, as we get started with the day i want to thank you for being part of our morning and welcoming us into your home. i am marcus washington. >> i am kira klapper in for laura this week. we have team coverage on this

freezing morning. kris sanchez is near highway 17 watching for the possibility of snow. mike inouye is tracking slippery road conditions and breaking news as well. but first -- >> yeah, we want to check in with vianey arana in for kari this morning. you have the cold weather to tell us about. >> yeah, this is the big story for today, because once the sun comes out and the clouds were to clear, instead of warming us up, that will help our temperatures get colder, which is going to bring the conditions down to surface level. storm ranger right now picking up light to moderate rain in some spots, and the wintry mix. this is what we have been seeing. mount hamilton seeing so much snow, and current temperatures in the 30s as you head out the door. 38 in dublin. santa rosa, 36. here's a closer look at what i will be discussing when it comes to the chance of snow. for the north and east valleys, 1500 to 2500 could see a light accumulation between 2,500 to

3,000 feet in elevation. light accumulations are likely according to the national weather service. peaks above the 4,000 mark, which is more common, two to six inches possible heading into tonight. the rain is not as heavy as yesterday, and we still have snow accumulations and rain on the way. let's see how the roads are doing with mike? >> i don't have confirmation as far as details, the chp report saying they have open lanes, and we are seeing traffic more consistently coming down southbound 101 past willow road. marsh, there's a lot of activity. the crash itself is at willow on 101 through menlo park near

redwood city. the bay bridge toll plaza is clear. so is your -- oh, a new issue for contra costa county. we'll check on that. back to you. >> thank you. a deep chill is setting over the bay area, and we could see a dusting of snow. >> yeah, today in the bay's kris sanchez joins us on 17. kris, we hear it's snowing in napa county? >> reporter: yeah, about an hour ago it was really, really cold, and now i put my hood up because it's starting to drizzle. as the temperatures start to drop, as vianey was saying, that could turn into snow. napa county already seeing some of the snow. take a look at some of the video we just got in. this is about the 1,000-foot elevation, and it could be interesting for folks as they try and get out and about this morning. we expect we will see some of

the snow here in the santa cruz mountains as well. we were here two years ago when this happened, february of 2019. while it's fun to see and it's fun to play in, it can be a dangerous situation. we know that santa clara county -- or, rather, santa cruz county supervisors will consider declaring a local emergency, not necessarily because of the weather system, but because of the atmospheric river that came through just a couple weeks ago. a bay area wide story shows it has been extremely cold the last couple of nights, and we did find some folks out and about trying to prepare for that. communities are adding beds to the warming shelters to make sure people have a place to go. hardware stores are stocking up on supplies, and some folks are just trying to make the best of it, too. >> we brought in a couple extra pallets, so you know, we have

gone through a palate. >> i'm ready to go. >> reporter: if you have a nice warm jacket for christmas, put that one on today because it's a cold system. i can attest to that. you have also seen vianey's map. as conditions get more sloppy outside, drive slower than the speed limit because the speed limit is only for ideal questions and today it's not ideal, unless you are working from home. >> you can track the current temperatures she was talking about right from your phone. download our free nbc bay area app. the omicron variant is exploding in states across the country shattering new records. more children are getting seriously ill. take a look at the numbers here in california. as you can see here the state is reporting an average of nearly 12,000 cases per day. that's a 73% jump from just two

weeks ago. that surge coming with a covid testing crisis. today in the bay's liz mclaughlin is joining us with more. liz. >> marcus, good morning. brand-new guidelines from the cdc could help offset the disruptions caused by staff shortages from the virus. fully vaccinated and boosted individuals do not have to quarentine after exposure and for the time for those that tested positive for covid-19, the time to isolate is shorter now. new guidance for those infected with covid-19. the cdc cutting the recommended isolation time in half, from ten days to five as long as they are asymptomatic. the change comes as new coronavirus cases soar to near record levels in the u.s. >> we all tested positive over the holiday.

>> the omicron driven surge combined with the tens of millions of americans that remain unvaccinated could still create a severe strain on the nation's health care system. >> we are so full that often times we are having to hold patients that are supposed to go to the icu in the emergency department for hours, and sometimes days. >> especially concerning, the spike in the number of kids getting sick and ending up in the hospital. >> 0% of them were fully vaccinated children. we are not seeing any cases of the vaccinated children in the hospital right now. >> covid-19 testing sites across the nation are getting overrun. the biden administration facing criticism over the testing shortages. the president acknowledging more needs to be done in a meeting with governors on monday. >> look, there's no federal solution. this gets solved state level. >> now looking to local leaders to help stop the surge.

some state officials are starting to ramp up regulations. in new york this week, the first vaccine mandate go into effect requiring more than 185,000 businesses to provide proof of vaccine for it's employees. federal lawmakers here, some of them pushing for increased regulations for domestic travelers including a vaccine mandate or proof of a negative covid test. live in washington, i am liz mclaughlin. marcus, back to you. >> yeah, looks like we will see more changes as time goes on. liz in washington this morning, thank you. marcus, as people have been traveling for the holidays or trying to get back home, testing sites are seeing a record number of people lined up to get tested. we have video from the east bay where the newark community testing site had lines stretching through the parking lot and around the block. several test providers tell us

they are trying to add staff to meet the need. in the meantime you may have to do digging to find an appointment or be willing to wait. >> can't guarantee it because we give preference to the people with appointments, but we do everything possible. >> most counties' covid web pages have an online tool to find appointments near to you, and if that doesn't work check with your local pharmacy or family doctor. and appointments are required here, and free rapid tests will be given out for mountain view residents today on a first come first serve basis from 5:00 until 7:00 tonight at the barbecue area. and contra costa county judges ordering a freeze on

court cases as they continue to see a rise in covid infection rates, and that includes seven recent positive cases among covid staff. the freeze order will be re-evaluated on the 14th of january. we are taking a live look outside at the commute in oakland. a lot of people getting out there this morning on this tuesday. it is cold out there. if you are headed out the door make sure you bundle up. meteorologist, vianey arana, has a look at your microclimate forecast. >> yeah, it's definitely a sight to see. i love that video of napa. i wanted to zoom in and see what our stormranger was picking up in that area, and of course it's always great to see. sure enough, look at this, this pink and blue you see here is a wintry mix, which could cause dangerous conditions out on the roads as well. we will get more chances of that heading into the first half of the morning, but plenty of it as well for the snow and some of

the higher peaks. temperatures will only top out in the 40s. showers will continue. it's going to get a little breezy this afternoon so the windchill will definitely be playing a factor in tonight's wardrobe, right? mike, how are the roads? >> yeah, early morning we did have one crash, a deadly crash, unfortunately here on the peninsula. southbound 101, basically consider it closed despite the traffic we saw crawling through here. traffic is supposed to be closed here, and folks look like they can't get on at willow just yet, so south of university everything is fine. 280 is fine along the peninsula. everything overall is light, and contra costa county, a crash on the shoulder and no major

injuries. on the bay bridge toll plaza, the metering lights have been turned on but no slowing, and that's the good news, lighter traffic there. >> thanks, mike. sticker shock at the grocery store. next here on "today in the bay," we will talk about the increased amount you will be paying at the grocery store in the coming year. we crunched the numbers on some of the items ahead for you. plus, the bat and the cat are back. just ahead, your first look at robert pattinson as "batman." you are watching "today in the bay."

good morning. it's 6:14. coming up we will talk not only about the cold weather and the snow but also how we're doing when it comes to the rainy season versus the average. san francisco did hit a new record. we will talk in detail about that coming up in a few minutes. a live look at the san mateo bridge shows you how clear this traffic is westbound heading towards highway 101. 101 just around the dumbarton bridge off-ramp. that's an issue. the off-ramps are fine, but the 101 has a problem heading through menlo park. we will talk about that deadly crash coming up. wall street set to open hirer. a look at futures right now, they are turning higher after the s&p 500 hit another record. speaking of money, get set

to pay even more at the grocery store next year. many food manufacturers plan to raise prices on a range of items like mustard and mayonnaise. food prices are forecast to rise 5% in 2022. oreo maker recently said it's hiking prices in its cookies and candies 6% to 7%. "the wall street journal" reports that kaft heinz will raise prices on some things as much as 20%, but it won't apparently be passed on to consumers. many staples are expected to be priced higher because of packaging and shipping costs. a pile of space junk is what

some are calling musk's satellites. there is no response yet from spacex or musk. >> i bet me doesn't like his stuff being called a pile of junk. >> no, he does not. 6:17 for you this morning. this is what is trending for you. the new trailer for the highly anticipated "batman" is here. >> robert pattinson as batman, and zoe kravitz. >> new friend of yours? >> i'm not so sure.

>> wow. as you can see, the new trailer focuses on the relationship between the two. we also get a look at the riddler. the film is set to hit theaters on march 4th. >> i am always interested in the training that goes into that. >> yeah, the martial arts they learn. so impressive. >> v, that can be our new workout. >> yeah, we could be doubles head into the new year, right? >> yeah, batman and cat woman. >> yeah. >> a first mexican bat woman and first black batman. the radar is active right now, and even though the rain may not be coming down as heavy or gusty as it was yesterday when it comes to the winds, it

is still enough to impact your morning commute. we are seeing pockets of snow in some of our hilltop areas, including napa, mount hamilton range, and the mount diablo range. 30s up through santa rosa. 36 degrees. napa, 38. once we see some of the cloud cover clear out we will get even colder and breezy into the afternoon. here's a closer look at your daytime highs. we are going to warm up a little bit into the low 40s. santa rosa, 42. look at the time stamps up here, tuesday, 9:00 a.m., cold and cloudy and you can see where the wintry mix is happening, ukiah, napa, clearlake. then the diablo and hamilton rages here as well. showers remain all day long. what will happen, we will get a break and then the sun comes out and then the showers show up again, and that's what we will see on and off.

tomorrow's commute also coming widespread, so we are not in the clear just yet. this is going to continue to remain at least until wednesday night. rainfall totals, we did get an additional half an inch to maybe three fourths of an inch on some of the hill tops yesterday, and so maybe a little more coming. by the way on sunday, san francisco was number 8 when it comes to the most rain since october 1st. last year we barely made it over 2 and a quarter mark. it's quite a big difference compared to what we have seen not just last year but on average. this is good news and fantastic to see. how is the rest of the bay area doing? santa rosa, over 21 inches.

we are seeing over six inches in san josé so far, about two inches over the average. over the next seven days, here's a look at the forecast and what to expect. the active chance of shower continues through tomorrow and drying out by thursday. then we head into a little dry spell heading from thursday, friday and saturday. then sunday the rain moves in and we will have a pretty busy first week of the new year. mike, how are the roads doing? because it's so cold, but nothing like that reported by chp. we are following effectively southbound 101 that is closed at marsh. because of the light traffic it's not much of a backup. i do think some cars are getting let through over on the shoulder, perhaps, although it's

not official. 101 leaving the peninsula clearing up right now. 280 is a great option. just avoid all of the activity here. you notice the pink and white, that's where there's a chance of ice and possibly snowfall overnight in some of the higher elevation. we have slowing heading down towards sunol. back to you. >> thanks, mike. 6:22 this morning. much more ahead on "today in the bay," including "nbc bay area responds." >> she got a $200 gift card for her time, so why can't she cash it in? i am consumer investigator, chris chmura. "nbc bay area responds" next. as we head to break, we want to share this picture that our kari hall shared on instagram. wow, a beautiful rainbow above castro valley. you can keep up with kari and find out what see's doing this week while she's off work by following her on instagram,

twitter and facebook. you're watching "today in the bay." rink. before that drink turns to drinks, make a plan to get home safe. just call a friend, a cab, and get a rideshare. whatever you do, don't let drunk drive. go safely, california. i didn't have health insurance, not because i didn't want it. i worried it was too expensive and i was having a hard time paying our other bills. but now, for the first time in our lives, i can do both.

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out. covered california. this way to health insurance. hair, done. fit, fantastic! marijuana. not so fast. remember, marijuana and some meds don't mix. a sober driver can cure that. don't let high drive. go safely, california. welcome back. nbc bay area responds to a san francisco woman that had a gift card with a lot of money on it but it did not work. >> yeah, consumer investigator, chris chmura, explains how his team helped her get money she was promised. >> good morning, cora in san francisco was given the $200 debit card for participating in a study. she tried to use it a couple

times at the grocery store but it did not work, so she contacted the bank that issued the card, and it told her to contact the group and she did, but that got her nowhere. we contacted the group and it contacted cora hours later and offered to deposit the money directly into her bank account. they delivered $250 in all. 200 for the card and 50 bucks for good will. if you have problems with a gift card don't delay, immediately call the number on the back, tell them what is going on and kick start an investigation. if nobody helps let us know about it, go to nbcbayarea.com and click the responds option from the main menu or call us at 888-996-tips. next here, the top stories we are following including the

frigid cold temperatures. meteorologist, vianey arana, will talk about that. the cdc remains cutting covid quarantine times in half, and how that could help the problems of flight delays and cancelations and how the nation's largest flight attendant's union questions the move. what happens if the jury don't come up with a verdict before the new year? we'll talk about it when we return. rn about covid-19 the more questions and worries we have. calhope can help with free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673 or live chat at calhope.org today.

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or live chat at calhope.org today. right now at 6:30, the bay area waking up to bitter cold. we're tracking who will get freezing temperatures today. meteorologist, vianey arana, is breaking it down hour-by-hour. plus, a record amount of snow in the sierra. an update on the dangerous conditions that left so many people stranded and shutdown resorts. and it just got shorter. ahead, the number of days the cdc now says you must quarantine if you come down with covid. also the impact on flight cancelations and all the chaos at the airport. this is "today in the bay." we are broadcasting to your tv and we're streaming live on nbcbayarea.com. good tuesday morning. thanks for joining us. i am kira klapper filling in for

laura garcia. >> i am marcus washington. we talked about the snow in the sierra, but the bay area already seeing snow as well. this is video just into our news room with the snow falling this morning in napa county, and this is what mount hamilton and mount diablo looked like yesterday. you know what? the chance of snow here continues with the frigid temperatures. >> i still can't get over the snow in napa. wow. we will check in on the road conditions in just a second with mike, but first vianey arana is in for kari hall. >> we are seeing plenty of activity up through the north bay where we are already seeing snow come down this morning. light to moderate showers at times and that's going to stick around all day long. i want to bring you in to a little timing when it comes to the temperatures. 8:00 a.m., we start to see the 30s. napa, 37. santa rosa, 35.

the 30s stick around for some of the sheltered valleys. then around 11:30, temperatures in the 40s. this is where we are going to top out. we are only topping out into the low 40s and low 30s once again tonight. even though right now we are in the 30s and 40s we are not going to warm up by much heading into today or even into wednesday. the showers will continue and this is pretty much going to be our topic of the day, right? as the colder temperatures with the wintry mix, your hour-by-hour outlook shows the wintry mix sticking around for the north bay and the mountain tops. even in through the afternoon, don't put away the umbrellas yet. it will be just enough to where you will see the possibility of some showers, especially at the santa cruz mountains and north bay. mike, how are the roads doing? >> yeah, all right, and amazed by the snow in napa.

we don't have any problems reported by chp, but that's a note out there, definitely the different conditions. here's an alert we have followed all morning on the peninsula here. this is southbound 101. i noticed the sensors moving past marsh road and getting into widow, and there's still restricted traffic flow so there could be one lane opened southbound past. that's along the peninsula. the bay bridge toll plaza, the metering lights are on but look how light the traffic is. back to you. >> thanks, mike. we want to get back to the rainstorm. uc berkeley snow lab says the sierra have gotten more than 15 feet of snow and this is breaking a record set back in 1970. we will need even more of that snow if we want to cause a dent in the drought. >> we're at 66% of what we would expect for the entire snowfall

season. so at this point we need about another 10 feet of snow to get up to where we would have an average snowpack season. after that point, then it can all go towards relieving the drought. >> wow. so he says they have been getting a mixture of light and powdery snow, which is great for the ski resorts, but that could cause problems on the roads, that dense snow. >> marcus if you are planning a trip to the sierra or know somebody who is, we can help. we have full details on the whiteout conditions and ski resort conditions. can you find that at nbcbayarea.com on the trending bar. and the cdc is recommending cutting quarantine times in half from ten days to five. what does this mean for essential workers and travelers impacted by the surge in covid cases and the omicron outbreak.

thom jensen is live at sfo. how will this all help, thom? >> reporter: good morning, kira. airlines officials are hoping this will greatly reduce the cancelations and delays by getting people back on the job, mostly flight attendants back on the job more quickly. another 35 cancelations, more than any other airport in the country today expected here at sfo. 718 more across the country. add that to the thousands that we have already seen across the nation over this past holiday week of travel. it has been quite a problem for travelers. the change would cut in half the amount of time flight attendants and other employees are away from work after testing for covid. dr. anthony fauci admits getting

essential workers back on the job was a consideration in making this recommendation, but defended the move as a safe one. a disease expert would not go that far, but he did say it could be less dangerous to shorten many time right now. >> i think a lot of people are worried if you are not testing people after going the additional five days, you are having people that could be transmitting. nevertheless i think, you know, most of the time in omicron you are most infectious two days before and three days after. >> the largest flight attendant's union questions the safety, though. the association of flight attendants that represents 50,000 members says the cdc's recommendation gives corporate america exactly what it requested and the union is concerned workers will be pressured to return to work too soon. a couple things that workers do have to do before they return to

work after just five days, they have to make sure they are showing no symptoms. also after they do come back to work for another five days, they will have to make sure they do wear face coverings at all times while on the job. live at sfo, thom jensen, today in the bay. in a few hours jurors desighting the fate of elizabeth holmes will gather to deliberate. yesterday was their fourth full day of deliberations and left the court without a verdict. the judge initially planned to keep the court closed for the holidays, and then told the jury if they wanted to meet they could, so the judge unlocked the doors. so far the jury has made two requests to the judge, one about instructions and another asking to relisten to an interview holmes did with a group of their notion investors. >> what they are trying to do is

refresh their impression, and it's what they felt, thought, heard and saw when that was originally presented. >> holmes is charged with 11 counts of criminal fraud and conspiracy and each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. we are staying on top of this story. any new developments in this case, too. when that verdict comes down we will bring that to you live. we will have coverage with legal analysis right here on nbc bay area. a live look outside at christmas in the park in downtown san josé. a frigid day if you are looking at christmas lights. boy, is it cold. we have snow in napa that we are talking about. >> yeah, i want to give you an overall look at the chances of snow, how much snow depending on the elevation, so north and east bay valleys, we have already seen snow at the 1,500 mark early this morning and over the

weekend. this could bring a lot more accumulations through today at the 2500 to 3000 mark, we could see more accumulations. at the highest peaks, two to three inches possible, and that's above the 4500 feet mark. we were at 130% of snowpack on saturday, and now we are at 153% of statewide average. great news for our sierra snowpack. mike, how are the roads doing? >> so far, overall, light traffic as we expect this time of year between christmas and new year's. more traffic just kicking in for southbound 101 south of willow road. i think they are opening more lanes despite the fact that chp has not had time to update the details of the deadly crash this morning. southbound 101 past marsh down to willow, we saw that with the live camera, and now traffic

slowing down through palo alto. there will be a hiccup on the peninsula, and we will follow that. look, the rain, the mist and drizzle causing conditions to get a little slippery. back to you. coming up, the investigation is just beginning. next on "today in the bay," what happened to a small plane that crashed in southern california? sunday night football going to look different for the 49ers as the team gets bad news about jimmy g. just how bad is it? will he play? those are questions we will answer. plus -- >> whoa. this year has been full of great tv and movies. which ones are coming out on top? we have a look at the best shows and movies of 2021. stay tuned.

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good morning. it's 6:43. we are under a microclimate weather alert. it's going to be an interesting day today. we have a wintry mix in the bay area, already seeing snow falling in napa. hamilton expected to get more snow, and we are looking at road conditions. here's an update from mike? >> southbound 101 on the peninsula, all lanes cleared at

willow through menlo park. we are going to give you a bigger look at the commute or what we have of that commute, coming up. developing in san diego county overnight, a plane explodes after crashing into an intersection near el cajon. new video from a home surveillance camera shows the moment it began descending from the sky and hit the ground and exploded. sheriff deputies say they do not know where the plane was coming from or how many people were onboard. we have video from a man that went live on facebook after the crash. it knocked out power to more than 2,000 homes. firefighters did not find survivors at the crash scene. >> nobody was impacted on the ground. there were no injuries or furthered fatalities on the ground. the only fatalities we are assuming right now are those in the aircraft and we don't know how many there were in the aircraft. >> the cause of the crash is

still unknown. a crucial moment in the season for the 49ers. jimmy garrapalo suffered an injury. jimmy g missed practice yesterday because of a right thumb injury and called it a sprain, but there are multiple reports it could be worse than that, maybe a torn ligament or even a fracture. this comes at a time when the 49ers are on the cusp of making the playoffs. trending for you this morning, if you need something new to watch, imvd is out with their top shows. >> here's the number one pick for best movie. >> what has become of our world? >> ""dune" came in at number on. that's followed by "suicide squad," "eternals," mortal

combat and justice league. as for the best tv show -- >> wonder, vision -- >> this is our home now. >> oh, this is going to be a gas. >> wandavision took the top spot. that's followed by loki, squid game -- >> if you have not watched any of those you could probably use the time it's raining to catch up. >> yeah, makes it hard to go outside when it looks like this on the radar. if you have an opportunity to go outside, for whatever reason, if you are going to work, please be safe. a wintry mix has been the top story because of the cold weather. we have seen snow on top of napa. kris sanchez is going to get to that in a second. right now we are seeing our mobile doppler radar,

stormranger, picking up light rain and not as heavy as yesterday. novato taking a break as well as napa, even though they got a little activity up through there as well. looking at rain through tracy. the blue and white is the sleet possibly. in the high peaks, radar is showing the wintry mix as well and it's interesting to see how this shapes out heading into the afternoon. early mid morning, i should say. temperature outlook remaining in the 30s and 40s. we are going to top out in the mid-40s for the entire bay area, really. mountain view, 46. down through santa cruz, only 48 degrees. as far as the rain goes, it will remain cloudy and cold really all day long with on and off again showers. you could see right there, look at clearlake. once the showers start to pick up, the snow levels will drop nearing the 3,000 foot mark.

as far as rain estimates, we could see a couple 0.01 of an inch today. not as much as in the past few days, but it will help out with the rain season. santa rosa right now, so far over 21 inches. san francisco, as you guys know, broke a new record setting it on december 26th. oakland over 14 inches. livermore, a little over 10 1/2 inches. san josé, a little over 6 inches which is nice to see because the san josé areas falls in that. we do see things calm down as we head into wednesday night. things taper off. we will keep a chance of showers off north and on thursday, looking at the models, looks like sunday night into monday, the first week of 2022 it's

going to be a wet one. we have a pretty big storm right now that is looking like it will add up to a couple days of rain once again here in the bay area. at least you get to welcome in the new year with dry conditions so hopefully you can enjoy fireworks with family and friends. now let's see the latest on the roads with mike. >> yeah, we have breaking news situation and it's better for the traffic flow. unfortunately the cause of the traffic is a deadly crash. i thought things were opening up, as we showed it on the air. recovery should be another few minutes because of the light volume. southbound 101 slows at about marsh road down to willow and cleared through palo alto. the roadways are moving well. lighter traffic flow. the pink and white means perhaps

frost so be careful out there. we showed snow up in napa, but in oakland we have water falling on the lens, and the same thing at the bay bridge toll plaza. the metering lights were turned on this morning, and there's no backup but it's getting wet. back to you. again, later this morning on the "today" show our own chief meteorologist, jeff ranieri, is filling in for al roker. >> good morning and hello bay area. it's chief meteorologist, jeff ranieri, coming to you from new york city and the rockefeller center. i am covering in for al roker today and we are looking at record warmth in the southeast, and snow in the midwest and stronger thunderstorms that will eventually be possible and our unsettled weather out through the west. stay tuned right here after "today in the bay," i will be on at 7:00 this morning on the "today" show. i got to go and get ready for

the show, so i will see you all soon. >> be sure and catch jeff all week long on the "today" show. that's right after "today in the bay" at 7:00. >> so exciting. speaking of exciting, happening now, the powerball jackpot is now at $441 million. this comes after there was no winner in last night's drawing. grab your ticket. the winning numbers are here. the powerball was 19. two people did win $2 million. another one won a $1 million prize. i know it's not marcus because he's still sitting next to me. the next draw something on -- drawing is on wednesday night. where you could get a covid test for free today right here in the bay area. plus -- >> i think we might be colder

here in the bay area than jeff ranieri is on the east coast. i am in the santa cruz mountains where we could see a dusting of snow this morning, but snow is already falling in another bay area spot and i will show that to you. >> first, make sure you join me for my first facebook live. it's kind of comical. it's happening right now. i will give you a look at what happens behind the scenes. marcus washington is dancing next to me right now. find me on kira klapper on facebook. join the fun. we'll be right back.

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welcome back. we're moving you forward with a look at the top stories on "today in the bay." starting with new guidance from the cdc when it comes to quarantining. the agency is cutting the recommended isolation time in half for those infected with covid-19. this is from ten days to five as long as that person is asymptomatic, followed by five days of wearing a mask around others. though if you do have symptoms it's still ten days. the change comes as new cases fueled by the omicron variant skyrocket around the country, averaging around 200,000 each day. >> testing sites are lining up as omicron spreads at a record

pace. the testing site in newark had a line stretching through the parking lot and around the block. in the meantime, you might have to try pretty hard to find an appointment or be willing to wait for one. most counties' covid web pages have an online tool to find available appointments near you, and if that doesn't work try checking with your doctor or local pharmacy. as demand increases, today palo alto and santa clara county will offer free covid testing to residents. they will be given at the community center, and appointments are required. free rapid tests will be given out for mountain view residents and that will be today on a first come first serve basis from 5:00 to 7:00 tonight. a freeze on all jury trials

as the county continues to see a rise in the covid infection rates, and this includes seven recent positive cases among court staff. that freeze order will be re-evaluated on the 14th of january. we have seen snow falling in napa county already this morning as a deep chill is setting in over the bay area. we could see more snow. >> today in the bay's kris sanchez is joining us now on highway 17. the last time we saw you, kris, it was raining. still looks like it could be raining just a bit? >> reporter: it's the nuisance rain, the hairspray rain. we have not seen snow yet but we are seeing our breath. it has gotten colder and we are expecting we could see the chance, a dusting of snow. it's already falling at the 1,000-foot elevation here in napa county. we have truckers and bus drivers

pulling over to check their situation and making sure they are safe in the santa cruz mountains. this is about 1,800 feet in elevation. today the santa cruz county authorities are talking about the cold. it has been the dominant weather story. some communities are adding beds to their warming centers to make sure people have a place to go. you can call 2-1-1 in most communities. >> we actually brought in a up -- couple extra pallets. >> i got a nice jacket for christmas so i am good and ready

to go. >> reporter: we are still standing by for the little flury of snow, and we know it's cold. we know when it's cold and wet we could see the possibility of black ice. remember the speed limits are a suggestion for ideal conditions and today it's not ideal. kris sanchez for "today in the bay." >> she looks so cute bundled up there, doesn't she? thanks, kris, for that report. stay safe. kris was talking about all the rain vianey was monitoring and all the snow. what does it looks like? >> i am filling in for kari hall in studio. shutout to my girl, kris sanchez. showers throughout the entire day into wednesday and then a break from the rain on thursday, friday and saturday. we could see snow on some of the peaks. great recovery for 101

south. light traffic around the bay, like the bay bridge toll plaza shows. the rain stopped there, but it was there a few seconds ago. >> that's what is happening on "today in the bay." we're back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> the "today" show is coming up next. good morning. back to work. a major update from the cdc cutting the recommended isolation period for people with covid in half. in part to help with those major staff shortages causing problems from coast to coast. but is it safe? we'll find out everything you need to know about the new guidance, inuding an urgent call to parents to get their kids vaccinated before they're back in school. breaking news, a gunman in denver is dead after leading police on a wild chase through the city and suburbs. seven victims shot before the spree came to an end. the big question now, what was