football, and you knew it. >> we remember the incomparable john madden, a coach and broadcaster, and the impact he had right here in the bay area. plus, two years later, a look back at how far we've come since the first recorded case of covid-19 and highlight new advances in science as we go one-on-one with a local expert. also masks back on, and at least for some, ahead in a live report, the counties reinstating the mandates as covid cases continue to climb. this is "today in the bay." and we're broadcasting on your television. we're also streaming at nbcbayarea.com right now. i want to say a good wednesday morning to you. thanks for making us part of your morning. i'm marcus washington. >> i'm kira klapper.

laura garcia has the week off. let's look at the bay toll plaza. wet out there and windy. a microclimate weather alert is in effect. let's check in with meteorologist vianey arama in for kerri. >> today we're going to see rain. it turns into showers by this afternoon. you can see we've got a couple of light to moderate showers. along 680 if you're driving through san ramon, you're going to catch some rain. here in dublin, there will be a bit of a break and even down to the south bay as well. not seeing much rain as well in the fremont or milpitas area. a couple of inches here as well as brentwood city. right now the current conditions are in the 40s. you want to bundle up. today's daytime highs aren't going to warm up anywhere near

the 60s, not even the mid-50s. we're going to be in the upper 40s, low 50s for this afternoon. including coastline, the 50s. down in the south bay, 50s as well. i'll take you through the timing of when the rain moves out and how much we've seen so far coming up in a few minutes. >> thanks, vianey. the nation and the bay area mourning the loss of legendary coach john madden. he died yesterday at the age of 85. madden was much more than just a coach. he was a larger-than-life figure in broadcasting and a pioneer in video games. the bay area native lived in pleasanton but grew up in daly city. he had more than 100 wins before retiring in 1979. a longtime sports writer who covered madden's final years as a coach remembers the coach's passion and fire. >> his fights with al davis over, you know, whether ken stable should be the starting

quarterback are kind of legendary because madden believed that a guy who wins is the guy you play, and al liked guys with big arms. >> many posted tributes. the nfl posted pictures of all the madden covers from the video game, and the las vegas raiders said, quote, simply, there will never be another. richard sherman and lebron james also sent their condolences to his family. turning now to the latest on the pandemic, new numbers show just how fast the new variant is spreading. the u.s. added nearly 500,000 new cases yesterday, a new one-day record with omicron now the dominant strain over delta. now the cdc is reporting more than 63,000 people are hospitalized with the virus nationwide. after a reporting delay over the holiday weekend, california's numbers have suddenly jumped. the latest update shows our

positivity rate has quadrupled in the last two weeks nearly 10%. california is averaging more than 8,600 new case as day, and we have just become the first state to record 5 million total cases. this all happening as health leaders are now urging californians go back to the basics. that includes canceling major new year's eve events, and kindly asking everyone to wear their masks at every indoor business once again. bob redell has more. bob. >> reporter: good morning, kira. starting today, people working at this 24-hour fitness facility in san ramon and other gym locations throughout contra costa county will have to wear masks at all businesses indoors regardless of vaccination

status. that's starting today. many at gyms, churches, and businesses were allowed to not wear masks, but it's too risky. it spreads among not just the unvaccinated but the vaccinated as well. morin county plans to revise its rules regarding masks. san mateo county also has an indoor mask mandate. the mayor is watching closely what's happening in new york state. they've seen an increase in hospitalizations spike as omicron spreads. given that they have similar

vaccination and restrictions in place, it's possible new york could be giving us a preview of what's headed our way. an infectious disease specialist says they could see a bump in hospitalizations. >> bob, thank you. 6:06 for you this morning. this week marks two years since the first human cases of covid cases were detected in wuhan, china. we spoke with dr. peter chin-hong about what we're still learning about the virus. >> information has been evolving, and i know there's been a lot of misinformation as well, but there are three variants so far. the first is it came from an animal. after all, humans invade animal space, housing, commerce, or food. we're seeing more and more of these emerging infections. the second is it was a lab leak associated with the wuhan

institute of virology. they have a big library of sars viruses, so maybe it accidentally leaked. the third, of course, is it was intentional. but it's very difficult to think somebody would unleash this virus intentionally. >> i want to talk to you now about where we are. the holiday season, a lot of people are traveling. what should travelers be cautious of because you have a lot of people traveling with kids who are unvaccinated. >> travelers should definitely be cautious of a very, very transmissible variant now, four times more transmissible than delta, which is twice as transmissible as the original strain, and they have to up their covid gain. so you're wearing the cloth masks, which i love. it's patterned, you can coordinate, blue on blue. you have to wear a better mask when you're traveling, a surgical mask that's well fitted. and by well fitted, you basically can tie a double knot

here to make it fit snugger. of course, you can also double mask and still get your bling on by having that pattern over it. avoid overcrowded spaces. having your kids masked if they're over the age of 6 months. and, of course, preparation, it's still not too late to get a booster shot, not too late to get your kids vaccinated. we emphasize testing. going to get easier and easier to get. >> dr. peter chin-hong, thank you very much. >> a very good interview. as always, there's a lot happening when it comes to the pandemic. you can get the latest on safety restrictions, the vaccine requirements any time. all you have to do is go to our website, nbcbayarea.com/coronavirus. we're going to turn back to the weather. two main routes in the sierra are finally reopened after lengthy closures.

i-80 fully reopened after 10:00 last night. we have a look at highway 50 still covered in snow at meyers. expect delays and potentially more closures. bringing you back to the bay area, we want to take a live look out at san ramon. look at that. the rain is coming down. a normal sight now. we've been seeing this for quite some time. meteorologist vianey arama has been tracking the weather, snow to the rain to even sparks of sunshine. >> yes. it's been interesting to see. we get those periods. is the rain gone? not just yet. we're seeing pretty active radar. it's still going to be pretty dangerous up there. consider how much snow is out there if you're not the type of person who's used to driving in the snow -- meet me. i'm not used to driving in the

snow. i wouldn't go up there even with the plows out there. it's still windy and rainy. i would hold off until tomorrow. 44 degrees right now in dublin. and it's go doing continue to rain on and off all day long today. finally into the overnight hours we'll get some clearing from this storm. but, all right, let's see how the roads are doing. mike. >> even if you're used to driving in the sierra, make sure you're used to putting on those chains. practice at home before you head to the sierra because you'll likely need those over the next week. here's i-80 locally. that's great. there will be slick conditions all around the bay. do be careful. the big outstanding issue aside from the green roadways is this stretch of original we had, 580, still a one-lane block. one lane is still blocked. spectators are causing a slowing. move over.

you've got plenty of space there and around there. >> good reminder to pull over. one silicon valley tech giant -- oh, my gosh. we were talking about this -- dropping major bonuses to keep their workers from leaving. next on "today in the bay," who's eligible and how much extra cash they're offering. >> i don't think we're eligible. >> no, unfortunately. the streaming wars set to heat up in 2022. how much is expected to be spent on new movies and tv shows. and right now on nbcbayarea.com, our investigative unit has the latest on the new plan to stop san francisco's millennium tower from leaning even more. you can watch the latest report by clicking on our investigations tab. stay with us. you're watching "today in the bay."

good morning. it's 6:14, and we do have rain coming out. if you're in the dublin area right now, it's 44 degrees. continuing to be a little widespread to the south bay around 8:00, 9:00 a.m. some areas are slicker and sloppier than others. the bay ridge toll plaza sloppy. we don't have the metering lights on. we'll talk about what we learned from yesterday's traffic. we'll have more coming up. well, wall street set to open modestly higher after a

mixed session yesterday as investors continue to assess the impact of the omicron variant. apple is trying to keep up with a lot of people, keeping their top engineers from defecting to rival companies in silicon valley as competition continues to be fierce for the top tech talent. bloomberg reports that apple is giving out rare bonuses to select employees. this is worth as much as $180,000. those bonuses were granted to high performers and divisions such as silicon design, hardaway, software, and operations. now, apple has declined to comment. >> is that why your app was open? you were applying? >> hey, that's our little secret. instagram, it's no secret. you can follow me. instagram has a new year's resolution. it's actually doubling down on video. it increased focus on reels.

its ans answer, tiktok. they're talking about adding present at controls, and highlighted features rolled out this year, such as the ability to even hide your likes. the streams wars are ramping up. top media companies plan to spend at least $115 billion for streaming content next year. the "financial times" reports a huge investment comes amid concerns it will be harder to attract new customers following the mass ifb growth during the pandemic. many analysts say there's no turning back, and the only way to compete is to spend more money on premium content, this as many streaming services continue to lose money. and at 6:16, trending this morning, if you're looking to travel to utopia, bing crosby's

house. did you see what i did there? one of his movies? >> mm-hmm. i think of him and my favorite movie ♪ i'm dreaming of a white christmas ♪♪ his home lists six bedrooms and five bathrooms, a romantic moroccan style and a glass wall that opens to the backyard area. a wing that jfk stayed at. if you want this home, $4.5 million. if you have the money, that's a great investment. beautiful hoefl. >> historic. i could listen to you sing all morning. >> if i sang, would you give me $4.5 million? >> i don't have $4.5 million, so

that's a nonstarter. >> did anyone buy a lottery ticket? >> i did. if you don't see me wednesday, you know why. >> i never knew. let's bring it back to the weather. let's see what's happening out on the roads. it's about 46 degrees right now in san francisco. look at the conditions outside. so depending on where you are, you might already be getting rain and you might not have seen any rain yet, but you will, trust me. we've got our mobile doppler radar storm ranger up scanning. you see pockets of rain in the richmond area. san francisco as well. light to moderate at times. look at fremont. a little down to the south, redwood city as well to 101. and look at the south bay. another point i want to, you

know, kind of emphasize, is if you're driving in southern california along the grapevine in l.a., it's going to be rainy and windy at times. if you know this trend through frazer park, conditions get slick. i haven't seen conditions along the grapevine, but because of the conditions, i would advise to hold off until the rain slows. 46 in san jose. your hour-by-hour outlook, taking you to about 9:30, that's when we'll see some of the rain come down in the south bay and santa cruz area. rain off and on, breaks of sunshine, and it will still be cold with a chance for thunderstorms. you could see snow in the higher elevations. look at this. no rain. we will get cloud cover, though, and likely fog as we wake up tomorrow. it's also going to be cold. we're talking low to mid-40s,

low to mid-50s, and also 24-hour rain total. once the rest of the storm clears out, we're talking a couple hundreds of an inch. not a lot. but next week, looking out ahead, january 7th, taking you all the way from monday into next friday. we're talking several more inches of snow for the sierra and several more inches of rain for the bay area. we have been telling you guys about this. in case you missed it. we did hit a new record in december 2020. over 202 foot of snow. look at that. fascinating to see that because it helps boost our sierra snow pack. we're 159% average. if you guys don't know. southern california has been getting a ton of snow in the big bear area. impressive through there. nice boost. and we've got more on the way into next week. take advantage of this break. it appears that new year's eve,

it's going to be pretty nice when it comes to the weather during the day. it's going to be chilly during the overnight hours. cold start there. at least it will be dry out on the roads. all right, mike. how are the roads doing? >> it will be dry on the roads, but not today. as you know, vianey showed us the rain. you'll still get scattered showers, but we have scattered traffic for the last two weeks of the year. this year is an exception with not a full restoration as far as the volume of traffic. about 90%. that's still a lot more traffic than we've had for a while. we still have slowing toward one lane that's closed from west 580. i see slowing at the castro valley. no major slowing including this area. >> thanks, mike. next on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. >> reporter: are you making a

donation to your boss this year? well, you might. you might not even know about it. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll show you how to prevent that from happening. and as we go to break -- >> reporter: i might need my sunglasses. >> as kris said, you might need some sunglasses. she spotted snow in the south bay. you can keep up with kris and follow her adventures and stories on instagram, facebook, and twitter. you see her handles right there. much more ahead on "today in the bay."

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each year many mistakenly or unknowingly take money for health expenses and give it to their boss. let's look at how that happens and how to prevent that from happening to you. since the disco era, flexible spending savings accounts have let families take money out of their paychecks for health experiences pretax. it's used to cover co-pays, hospital bills, and medicine. millions sign up because they can save you serious money, but uncle sam sets the rule. here's the trickiest part, the part with your boss. federal rules require you to spend your balance each plan year. whatever money you don't spend can be sent back to your employer. if you don't use it, you can

lose it, and your boss can keep it. businesses can let you carry over part of your balance now or give you a grace period to spend your left joefr fsa money in 2022, but the irs doesn't require companies to offer either. so what happens to your unspent balance on december 31st? ask h.r. or the company that keeps your account for details. >> thank you, chris chmura. after more than a month delay, the commercial crab season officially opens today. this is a look at the long-awaited day in san francisco. you might recall the season opening was pushed back to protect whales and sea turtles that could get caught in those long nets. as for people looking to enjoy fresh crab from markets, you should see supply go up and prices come down in the coming days. >> i like the sound of that. >> yeah, exactly. much more ahead this morning. 6:26 right now. the top stories we're following, including this ongoing rain.

meteorologist sri a na a ramah tracking the wind and when we can catch a break. >> instant rain making a accident in our drought. she'll also dive into those numbers. plus -- >> reporter: as a lot of folks start to make their new year's eve plans, the jury in the elizabeth holmes theranos trial are sll work. we'll tell you where they stand so far, and we'll talk with someone who's been inside for much of those proceedings. you're watching "today in the bay." 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.

ling calhope can help with free covid-19 emotional support. anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673 or live chat at calhope.org today.

right now at 6:30, a heartbreaking loss. the bay area and fans mourning the loss. we have a look at john madden's remarkable career. another day without elizabeth holmes knowing her fate. a live report on jury deliberations set to get under way again this morning. plus -- >> our rates are going up incredibly fast. >> covid cases surging yet again. the south bay implementing yet new mandate in the hopes of spreading omicron. this is "today in the bay." good morning. thank you so much for starting your morning with us. i'm kira klapper in for laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. we want to get a look at the wet roads in the bay area.

meteorologist sri a in a ramah is in for kari hall this morning. >> yeah. we're going to have rain on and off all day. one thing that's going to stick around is the cold temperatures, only topping the low 40s. look what's going to happen to our temperatures. this is thursday, 3:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, temperatures backed down into the 30s. napa, 39. down to the interior valley, 41 for san jose. and if i push the timeline forward to 7:00 a.m., even in the south bay, we dip down to the 30s yet again tomorrow. it will be a cold start to our thursday, but at least it will be a dry one. tomorrow we'll top out in the low 50s. so by the afternoon, we're going to be at 53 degrees for san jose and things will remain dry for the neck couple of days after that. so friday, saturday, sunday. i'll take you into detail on that coming up in a few minutes. >> thanks, vianey. 103 wins, a super bowl championship, and a legendary career behind the mic, and that is only half of it.

>> this morning people in the bay area and across the country are remembering the bay area's own john madden. the iconic raiders coach and emmy award-winning sportscaster died unexpectedly yesterday at the age of 85. madden lived in pleasanton, grew up in daly city, and led the oakland raiders from 1969 to '79. he was the youngest nfl coach in nfl history with 100 wins at just 42. he retired, bringing a new personality to the booth, whether it was his famous sound effects, catch phrases, or his gift of breaking down the game. his former anchor remembering him fondly. >> it was never discussed in advance. i was totally out of the blue. let's go do this and see what happens. nobody does that. >> there has been an outpouring of support and tributes from

coast to coast. you can find more on the life and times of john madden on our website, nbcbayarea.com. we also have thoughts from his longtime broadcast partner al michaels. we're going to turn now, and a verdict could come any day in the elizabeth holmes federal fraud trial, but could today be the day. >> the jury's sixth day of deliberations begins in just hours. "today in the bay's" kris sanchez with where the jury stands in this deliberate rag. kris, how's it going? >> reporter: good morning to you, marcus and kira. the judge told the jury he's available any time this week if they have questions or want clarification. as today begins day 6, we know what they've been considering so far. in their last five days, they asked to hear one piece of evidence over again, and that was a phone call between elizabeth holmes and investors. they also asked the judge one question. so if it seems like it's taking

a long time, it's worth remembering this is a very complicated case. there was a lot of scientific information that came through. 29 witnesses on the government's end, three witnesses on the defense end, and 11 fraud charges that are felonies. our colleague scott budman has been in the courtroom for much of the case. good morning to you. i usually see you across my cubicle. nice to see you in person. because the federal court judge does not alowe cameras in the courtroom, what can you fill in for us? >> one thing we've been able to see is the jurors. people really leaned forward. i think the big thing is when elizabeth holmes herself testified. every word they hung on, trying to figure out how she sounded, did she make eye contact. we were watching her and watching them watch her. you could tell they were really, really interested. >> we've seen and heard her in

person never own words because of her documentary, and she did t.e.d. talk and all of that. was it any different from that persona that we've seen? >> it was. she're not as severe for lack of a better word when someone covered her when she was a ceo. there's always the same outfit, the turtleneck, her hairstyle. that can't be by accident. everything appeared more natural and she seemed more natural oddly enough on stand than i remember in interviews as a ceo. there's the importance to be a boss, be in charge as she's admitted to. she said, hey, the buck stopped with me. but she's trying to come across as someone a little more relatable and not running a company but rather defending herself. >> we've been following your tweets through the trial. a lot of the information was really complicated, scientific information. what were the jurors' responses

to that testimony? >> that's a good question. they were a little tuned out as we as the defense got into cross-examination. that was on purpose. they want to muddle things a little bit it seems so you're not remembering that phone call that they just listened to where holmes was, to be charitable, exaggerating to investors. so they're trying to muddle the -- muddy the waters. >> this is superboring silting and waiting until the jurors finish doing their job. it's an important job. her life is on the life. each of these charges carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. it's not clear whether it could be cob sec active. she's a young mother and the jury knows a lot is on the line.

>> illuminating, fascinating to hear scott's perspective from inside the courtroom. >> we're just sitting here waiting. >> exactly. >> reporter: that's the boring part. >> as we say in this industry, hurry up and wait. >> hurry up and wait, exactly. thank you, kris and scott as well. >> as the verdict comes down, we'll bring you all the details. we're actually going to sent you an alert to your phone. this is a great time to get i it. we'll be broadcasting live with legal analysis right here on nbc bay area. this morning the cdc says the omicron variant currently accounts for 60% of all new cases in the u.s. here's a live look in san francisco for you where the surge is now impacting new year's plans. you may not have heard this yet. the city is announcing it's calling off the annual fireworks celebration. health leaders are now urging all who plan to gather this friday to stay safe by taking a rapid test an hour or two

beforehand, wearing your mask, and make sure everyone you're with is vaccinated. >>. speaking of tests, these are the kinds of crowds you should expect through the holidays if you're heading out to get a covid-19 test. sky ranger flew over the santa clara fairgrounds yesterday afternoon and found hundreds waiting in lines in cars, you see there, weighing to get tested. at-home tests right now are selling out in stores. >> mars can, that all comes a santa clara county issued a new mandate that has thousands more lining up for their booster shots. the new health order will require all health care workers in higher-risk settings to get a covid booster shot by january 24th. the mandate will impact about 150,000 workers. the goal is to keep the frontline workers including paramedics healthy and available to help others. >> what we want to do is ensure that our health care workers and our health care system can

absorb whatever hospital surge may be coming their way our recommendations are designed to help ensure that our health care system can absorb the deluge that set us here now. >> the new order also imposes an earlier deadline than the similar state order. it also includes a group the state order does not include those who work in shelters for the homeless. 6:39 for you this morning. we want to take a live look across the bay area, which has seen several days of that ongoing rain. storm range is scanning the san bruno mountains as the showers continue, and could we put a dent in california's severe drought with all of this rain that we're getting? meteorologist vianey arama, of course, tracking all of that. let's talk rain totals. >> it's been lovely to see the rain, we can't deny that. we've been in extreme drought in california. here we go.

santa rosa, 10 inches so far. san francisco saw a big boost especially within this recent storm. 15.5 -- actually 15.5 so far in san francisco. to give you an idea, although we have a long way to go when it comes to the drought, our reservoirs got a lovely boost from all this recent rain. 56% when it comes to three largest reservoirs in the state of california have now seen a nice increase. oroville, 71%. down through southern california, the low 50s to 57%. in terms of our drought northern, though, i do want to show you the latest conditions because as you know, it took us a really long time to get into this mess when it comes to the conditions. we're going to take a long time to actually dig ourselves out of this. exceptional drought right now. still looking rough especially

in southern california. i will say this. the recent storms did bring a nice change for far northern california. a lot of those zones went from exceptional to extreme, and we even saw improvement from extreme to severe. a lot more rain ahead coming in the first week of january. i'll take you through that. first let's check in with mike. >> we have better news on the roadways. we have all lanes open now. west 580 at castro valley boulevard, sounds like the repairwork to the b.a.r.t. fencing has been done. no delays all morning. systemwide we haven't been notified about any problems. that's good news. there is a disabled vehicle in the encenter divide around 248. that's causing a distraction and a backup. no lanes are blocked but definitely a tough situation as you get through 238. everything else smooth including the bay bridge toll plaza. back you do. >> thanks, mike. it's 6:41. it's been a violent week on

peninsula. still ahead, an investigation under way into a deadly overnight shooting. plus we're counting down to the beijing winter olympics. we'll introduce you to the incredible skier who's making a name for herself ahead of the game. and you know what? sing it with us. oh, yes. up next, the unlikely celebrity charting the music charts with this song here. not this one right here, but you'll be surprised if you haven't heard already. we may sing-a-long a little bit. >> who's "we?" marcus will sing. it will be great. 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. this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities.

out. 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.

good morning. it's 6:45. we're under a microclimate weather alert again. 46 degrees in san francisco. we're still going to see rain today. on-and-off live look. you can barely make out what's behind that camera. i'll take you through the timing and when the rain finally moves up coming up in a few minutes. we have a nice clear dry -- well, it's a wet clear dry. overnight rain leaves wet roadways with slick conditions. do be careful. unlike yesterday, no metering lights on. they were only on for about 80 minutes yesterday. there's no need for them today. you just need to slow down because of slick conditions. new overnight, a deadly shooting on peninsula. it happened on bay road in east

palo alto around 8:00 p.m. last night police say they found a man with gunshot wounds. he was on the ground of an apartment complex parking lot and he later died there. so far there's no word on a motive. police are still searching for that shooter. this, by the way, is the sixth homicide this year and the second homicide in less than a week. the other recent killing happened on christmas eve on beach street. former senate majority leader harry reid has died. reid, a democrat, passed away yesterday after a four-year bout with pancreatic cancer. he served as senator in nevada from 1987 to 2017 and was senate ma jord liter from 2007 to 2015. he was noted for offering bills into law. he was a deeply partisan figure with legendary knowledge of

senate rules and procedures that often allowed him to push legislation without bipartisan support. reid was 82 years old. this morning on the "today" show, they will continue to remember the man who had an improbable journey to the capitol. coverage starts right after "today in the bay" at 7:00. we are counting down to the winter olympics. there's just a little more than a month to go. so this morning we want to introduce you to a world-class athlete who has the perfect name for being a skier. breezy johnson. "the olympian" tells us what it's like go very quickly down a ski slope at 80 miles an hour. >> my name is breezy johnson. i'm from jackson hole, wyoming. >> breezy johnson. >> i always say it's the autobahn or formula 1 racing

without an airbag or a car. all of your shock absorbers are right here. so sometimes you're kind of guessing where the gate is. i think if you were to go, you know, 80 miles an hour on a bumpy gravel road and stick your head out the window, that could be a little bit what it feels like. >> and she's in another spot. >> breezy johnson is on a roll. >> breezy johnson. can't wait to see her in action. remember, you can only watch the beijing olympics right here on nbc bay area. it begins february 3rd. be sure to download the podcast. it's called "my new favorite olympian." one unlikely celebrity is celebrating that their christmas song hit the charts. >> you might be surprised who this person is. you probably heard this phrase.

the devil works hard, but kris jenner works harder. >> can we start over and go just a little faster? >> ready? >> here we go. ♪ dashing through the snow on a one-horse open slay ♪ over the fields we go laughing all the way ha, ha, ha ♪♪ >> that is kris jenner sing "jingle bells." her daughter kourtney kardashian playing the bells and her soon-to-be son-in-law travis barker playing the drums. >> everything they touch turns gold as she's laughing all the way to the bank. good for her. let's check in with meteorologist vianey arama for a look at the forecast. we're all just grinning our smiles because we're probably jealous of all the money they continue to make.

>> we have green on the map. >> green on the map. considering the drought conditions, we have rain. let's talk about the current conditions. we have a chance of seeing on-and-off again showers. we're seeing this push through the mill valley. the richmond area, 580. san francisco, on-and-off again periods of rain. overall pockets at times from fremont to hayward. it hasn't hit the south yet. but i want to warn you about your grapevine commute. today we're expecting to see a chance of rain and that white and pink hue you see there, that's a wintry mix. if you're familiar with the frazer park area, conditions can get really slick at times. make sure to check that before you leave. your best and safest driving conditions will be tomorrow morning. right now temperatures are in the 40s, and it's going to warm up, but only into the 50s. we're going to continue to see some of this on and off again

rain at times early today and then into the afternoon, and we'll get peeks of sunshine. it's not going to to be widespread heavy downpours. it's going to be cold. but notice the time stamp thursday at 7:00 a.m. the rain pushes out tonight, but overall it will be cold and breezy today. it's going to remain on trend. 24-hour rain totals are expected to be a couple hundreds of an inch to a quarter and higher to some parts of the higher peaks. there is still a winter weather advisory in effect until 10:00 p.m. in the higher elevations. as you know, they've been opening and reclosing some of the roads up there. you definitely don't want to get caught in this. your best window will be friday into saturday when conditions improve when it comes to the rain. it's still raining right now. and it's still windy. the sierras next week also

showing a big drop in temperatures, which means a big drop in the snow. and overall we are expecting to see possibly 35 more additional inches on top of that. so your window to get up there is going to be this weekend. if you're going to be heading out for new year's eve tonight, cold night with patchy frost friday into saturday. at least there's no rain in sight, which is good news for folks trying to head out and see some fireworks. mike, how are the roads? >> they're looking good wet slick conditions, so do be careful out there. i have a correction. 580, your commute onto north 238. but southbound is where the disabled vehicle is at the center divide. it may have been that burst of traffic that happened. sig alerts over there in castro valley. whatever the case, 580 moves very smoothly, and it's just a little slow for 238. that's really all we have except for a little bit of slowing. back over to you. >> thanks, mike.

it is 6:52. and happening now, cal train says highway 1 and big sur remains closed the morning as crews work to clean up rock slides from this week's stormy condition. they're going to have to remove this rock mass from above the roadway and clear out a slide that happened on sunday. look at that. it is expected to cost more than $1 million to clean up, but they're waiting until the rain clears over the next few days because the slide is still active. and next, a quick look at the top stories including a legend lost. we remember the incomparable john madden who brought a new grit and attitude to the nfl as an iconic coach and broadcaster, and also the impact he had on the bay yair. plus -- >> reporter: health experts' growing concern over the omicron variant. the bay area increasing mask requirements starting today. you're watching "today in the bay."

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welcome back. here's a look at the top stories we're following on "today in the bay" is. first this morning people across the world and in the bay yair mourning the legendary nfl coach john madden. he died yesterday at the age of 85. madden was much more than just a coach. he was a larger-than-life figure in broadcasting and a pioneer in the world of video games.

the nbc bay area honors him. a bay area resident. he was born in pleasanton but grew up in daly city. he had 100 wins before he retired in 1979. many in the sports world are posting tributes to madden. the nfl is posting pictures of all of the madden video game. the los angeles raiders say, quote, there will never be another. and covid cases spike and omicron becomes the dominant strain, health leaders are requesting shutdowns and wearing masks. "today in the bay's" bob redell explains it all for us. hi, bob. >> reporter: good morning, kira. here in cause cause tra costa county, you must mask up. they're asking people do this regardless of vaccination status. if you've been jabbed or haven't

been jabbed, you've got to mask up indoors here toda in contra costa county. the county says the new omicron variant has made things too risky. it's very contagious and spreads among not just the unvaccinated but the vaccinated as well. morin county plans to revise its exceptions for indoor masks. the county will make an announcement as soon as today. alameda requires masks in most indoor settings, but could announce tighter indoor mask restrictions sometime this week. santa clara and san mateo counties already have an all-indoor mask rue in place. the santa county health director tells "the mercury news" she's watching closely what's happening in new york state. that state has seen its state -- case rates and hospitalizations

continue as the omicron virus spreads. it's possible that new york is giving us a preview of what could be coming our way. reporting live here in san ramon, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> all right, bob, thank you. you can see that wet pavement behind bob. let's get one last check of the forecast and the roads before we head out this morning. >> yeah. expect on-and-off again. we're going to see rain turn to showers all throughout the day. 49 degrees. it's still going to be chilly, and then things dry out overnight into early thursday morning. we're going to wake up to upper 30s, low 40s. it's going to be dry for new year's eve. mike, how are the roads. >> this morning still damp, still slick in spots. no backup at the bay bridge. volume buildup at the san mateo bridge. use caution even though the roads may seem clear. they won't be fully able to drive full speed. be careful. >> that does its for us this

morning. look. it's hump day, and now we're coasting into the new year. >> yes, we are, especially one of us who's off tomorrow. we're going to miss you. >> i'll be back. >> you're going to be back. >> i'll be live. the "today" show coming up next. >> have a great wednesday. ♪♪ ♪♪ good morning. topping charts, total covid cases now surpassing million in the u.s. the omicron and delta variants spreading fast. average daily cases reaching a new new record, more than 260,000 including a spike in pediatric including a spike in pediatric hospitalizations any there's new confusion surrounding the we'll speak to the head of the guidance around it all. we'll speak to the head of the cdc live. midweek mess. the travel delays and cdc live. mid-week mess. the travel delays and cancellations that started over the holiday weekend just keep coming. over 700 canceled flights