♪♪ good morning. it is saturday, january 29th. 7:00 on the dot, as we take a live look outside. san bruno mountain with our stormranger atop and the sun rising over a cloudy and chilly bay area.

thank you so much for starting your weekend with us. i'm kira klapper. meteorologist vianey rihanna joins us with a look at microclimate forecast. really all we have been talking about is how cold it is out there. >> we have been starting out really cold and you're not wrong because we're in the 30s in some spots. even though we are starting chilly, into the afternoon -- and here is a live look in san francisco. one thing we haven't seen the past two mornings was fog. we have been starting out for the most part pretty nicely. look at your current temperatures heading out the door. bundle up. not a good day for sandals. maybe wear your sneakers and throughout the afternoon you can warm up because look at the daytime highs today. by 12:00, 1:00, we will be in the upper 50s and then we will get some sunshine through the afternoon. right now though in oakland it is about 36 degrees. really cold. notice by 11:00, 12:00, we will be in the upper 50s. low to mid 60s. full forecast in a few minutes. kira. >> all right. vianey, see you soon.

thanks so much. the anticipation is growing in the bay area for tomorrow's nfc championship game, the 49ers versus the l.a. rams. the 49ers are now in los angeles, but last night they tweeted this video while boarding the united charter plan to fly down to l.a. before they left, the small army of their fans gave them a proper send-off. >> beat l.a.! beat l.a.! >> the 49er faithful, you could hear their "beat l.a." as they left the stadium on the way to the airport. "today in the bay's" ian cull with more. >> reporter: excitement from the 49er faithful showing up in numbers to root on the team leaving levi's stadium heading to the airport to fly to l.a. for the nfc championship game. >> sending them good vibes, good luck. we know we will get this win.

can't wait to see them in the super bowl. >> really want this big win to happen. let's bri home. let's go, '9ers! >> of. >> reporter: it was a party-like atmosphere. fans said they had to show up for thai guys. >> i went to the games since 1979 at candle stib. you have to be loyal to your team. >> reporter: it is the 49ers' third time playing the rams this season. they won the first two including down in l.a. earlier this month. that's where the 49er l.a. chapter president says it was a sea of '9ers fans. >> everywhere you went to buy a soda, popcorn, whatever you wanted it was nothing but red. outside was read, the seats were red, everywhere was read. >> reporter: even though the tickets were restricted to l.a. zip codes earlier in the week, they expect a sellout. >> we did it once. we'll do it again and again. >> reporter: according to stubhub the cheapest tickets are around $600. 43% of the tickets sold were

from the north, but the nor cal buyers bought nearly twice as much as they bought for the game earlier this month at sofi stadium. the fans staying behind can't wait for sunday as the team is one win away from the super bowl. >> to show them, may, as they >> reporter: ian cull, "today in the bay." taking a live look at sfo, united airlines, the official airline of the 49ers, will be surprising some lucky fans who are headed to l.a. for the game. one flightro sfo to l.a.x. will be surprised with a pep rally before they depart today. remember, our teammates at nbc sports bay area have it all covered. laura britt, joe staley, tekio spikes and dante whitner with a one-hour pregame show starting at 2:30 tomorrow. be sure to switch back to nbc sports bay area after the game for 49ers postgame live.

turning now to a developing story in the south bay. members of the elks lodge in santa clara are picking up the pieces this morning after this massive fire ripped through their building yesterday evening. it forced hundreds of people to evacuate. two people suffered burns and smoke inhalation. fire crews have been on the scene to monitor hot spots overnight. "today in the bay's" cheryl hurd has the latest. >> reporter: heavy smoke and flames billowing from the santa clara elks lodge tonight. one of the club's officers filled with emotion as she watched the building burn. >> i always help in the kitchen. today i was coming in ten minutes late, and when i came said, oh, no, it is burning. two officers were inside the lodge. >> reporter: the fire started around 5:00 in evening. the battalion chief says it may have started in the kitchen. >> initial reports was stove on fire. crews arrived on scene.

there were heavy smoke and flames coming out the front of the structure. the call was -- the fire was reported by two of the personnel working inside. >> reporter: they were inside preparing for the monthly fish fry fundraiser. kevin farmer was in the building next door getting ready for bingo night when he saw the flames. >> i immediately ran over, went inside the building. i was going to try to put the flames out, but once i got up to where the kitchen was it was too hot. a lot of the smoke was coming down from the ceiling. >> reporter: about 300 people next door had to be evacuated. the two people inside the burning building suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. >> it is such a devastating day for santa clara and the lodge today. >> reporter: devastating because the elks in communities across the country do charity work for communities they serve. this chapter has been here for 67 years and has raised over $12

million for those in need. >> we pray that we will be able to rebuild. don't know how long that will take. >> reporter: cheryl hurd, "today in the bay." the head of the employment development department of california has resigned after just about one year on the job. rita saenz took over the edd in late 2020 as the department was dealing with a record number of unemployment claims and unprecedented fraud claims. the edd has been heavily criticized throughout the pandemic. the governor appointed the current director of external affairs to take over. she will be sworn in on tuesday. the leadership change comes as the edd tries to sort through pandemic-related fraud claims. more than 1 million californians who received unemployment during the pandemic are being told to prove they were entitled to the benefits or pay them back. turning now to our coronavirus coverage, the u.s.

has now hit more than 74 million covid cases. that's according to an nbc news tally. more than 7 million of those cases are right here in california with about 76,000 new daily cases. now state health leaders confirmed more cases of that new omicron subvariant have been detected here in california. there are now 26 confirmed cases of ba.2 as it is called. they've been identified in santa clara, tulare, los angeles, orange and san diego counties. new research is showing the subvariant is one-and-a-half times more contagious than the original omicron variant, and it is already circulating in nearly half of the u.s. there is some good news. the cdc says there's no evidence it is any more severe than omicron, and the uk health agency says ba.2 doesn't appear to reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. the white house promised it would start shipping those free

n95 masks as well, and we continue to follow the news of those n95 masks that are supposed to be distributed by the federal government. we checked in with some bay area pharmacies still waiting for their shipments. walgreen's tells us shipments were still arriving at warehouses. deliveries to stores will start happening on a rolling schedule in the coming days and weeks. cvs tells us it is also expecting the rolling schedule as well. n95 masks are proven to be the most effective at blocking any form of covid. >> the reason we are more encouraging people to use it more now in the age of omicron is just simply because omicron is so much more contagious than, let's say, covid from a year ago. >> walgreen's and cvs say they will be updating locations with masks on their websites. when the masks do arrive, customers will be limited to three per person. happening today, sonoma county will be holding vaccine clinics at the county fair

grounds. it will be open this morning and tomorrow morning from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. anyone who is eligible for a vaccine may receive the shot there, but county leaders say they are focused on getting children vaccinated. the vaccine clinics will continue every weekend until february 20th. also today in the east bay, people in alameda county can get their booster shots. the county is hosting the free booster clinic at the mastick senior center. it opens at 11:00 this morning for anyone 12 and older. calling on the state to lift mask mandates in schools. that's what four doctors from ucsf are advocating. they wrote this letter you see here to governor gavin newsom and state health leaders and posted it on change.org. so far more than 26,000 people have signed the petition agreeing with them. they say children should be allowed to take off their masks when they're outside, and then make masks optional inside

starting february 15th. that's the same date california's indoor mask mandate is set to expire. will there be school next week for children in one east bay school district? the west contra costa unified school district is still negotiating with teachers trying to avert a strike. the issue is covid protocols. the teachers union is demanding high-quality masks for free for all students and weekly testing for all, including twice a week for classrooms that have three or more positive covid cases or independent study for that class while quarantining. we will continue to keep you posted as that progresses. at 7:11 we have much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, thousands of flights cancelled as 10 million people are under blizzard warning along the east coast. how it is impacting the bay area coming up.

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welcome back. at 7:14 on your saturday morning, cloudy skies as you look over san francisco and the trans america pyramid. we are seeing 30s across much of the bay area this morning, but it will get sunny and warm up to the 60s across the bay. no rain in the forecast. we need it, but we will enjoy the sunshine in the meantime. meteorologist vianey rana will be along in a few minutes with your full microclimate forecast.

it is a much different story in the east coast. heavy snow, high winds are creating blizzard conditions all over, as much as 2 feet of snow expected in parts of new england including boston. that's where nbc's chris pollone is this morning. >> reporter: snow is falling here in the city of boston. in fact, it has been falling for several hours now. we have at least an inch of snow on the ground, but in many ways this is just a preview of what is to come. forecasters say this area can expect anywhere from a foot to 2 feet of snow if the system gets parked over an area, some areas could see 30 inches of snow. but the snow is not the major concern from the storm, this area gets snow all the time. one of the biggest concerns is the wind, blizzard conditions. we are seeing some wind gusts now, but later on today forecasters say that this area could get wind gusts over 30, 40, even up to 70, 80 miles per hour. local officials are urging people to stay off the roads. they say if snow is falling at 2

to 4 inches an hour, you get the high wind gusts coming in, it will be impossible to see. they are telling everyone to hunker down and stay home. that, of course, makes losing power a big concern. the local power utility has proo positioned crews from florida and canada in the area, getting ready to get out here and start restoring power if trees and power lines do start to come down. then another concern, of course, is localized coastal flooding. we've seen in the past with storms here in boston, parts of boston harbor start pushing ashore as the high winds come in and high tide comes in. that's not as much of a concern with this storm, but it is also something to watch. so millions under the gun today as this major nor'easter, potential blizzard conditions come northward into the state of massachusetts and into new england. i'm chris pollone in boston, nbc news. >> stay safe out there, chris. back here locally, a live look at sfo this morning where

that blizzard is affecting thousands of flights here. more than 3,000 flights to be exact across the u.s. have been cancelled. that's according to flight aware. 56 at sfo have been cancelled because of the east coast blizzard. developing now, the fire burning in big sur is inching closer to full containment. the colorado fire is now 80% contained. it has burned 700 acres since one week ago friday. the fire is just south of carmel in a canyon near highway 1 in the historic bixby bridge. firefighters expect full containment by thursday. all evacuations have been lifted. today marks the start of the lunar new year and there is a big celebration planned. beginning at 10:30 this morning, a procession will include lion dancers, giant walking puppers,

stilt walkers, drummers and dancers, leading to the chinese new year flower market to be held between sacramento and broadway. they will have flowers, oranges and tangerines for sale. a fun fact, did you know oranges and tangerines symbolize happiness? tangerines with leaves intact assure one's relationship will remain secure. for newlyweds it represents the branching of a couple into a family with many children. as we've been telling you, the san francisco 49ers go head-to-head with the rams tomorrow for a spot in the super bowl, but we are talking seats this morning as we count down to kickoff. they say if the shoe fits, wear it. well, one sacramento native and 49ers super fan got the chance to make custom cleats for defensive tackle armstead. the 20-year-old named kevin gray designed the kicks for my cause, my cleats week to help the

sacramento native highlight his armstead academic project. it helps give back to local students in need. gray is a custom shoe designer who had painted shoes of all kinds by hand. he said he was thrilled to have the opportunity. >> after they told me about my cause, my cleat, it was definitely in my mind, my shoe is going to be up there. how do you know? so it is simply a great thing. just this whole thing is such a great experience. >> grey got the chance to meet with armstead. he loves the fact that this nfl player knows and appreciates his hometown of sacramento. it is 7:29 now. let's check in -- 7:19, pardon me. it was 7:19.29. meteorologist vee an rana joins us with the full forecast.

>> hopefully everyone is relaxing because it is kind of cold outside. we are still in the 30s and 40s, so don't rush to go outside. i want to show you this beautiful shot of san francisco. look how great it is. we see clouds here and there, but by the afternoon clearing out. a beautiful view of san jose, sunrise. how are the temps? let me show you right now. dublin, 36 degrees. 38 degrees in livermore. 40s around the bay and peninsula but we will see the chilly starts to our morning. looks like the camera behind is a little blown out, but as far as the air quality goes from the north bay to santa clara valley we will be moderate. we continue to see the moderate conditions really all week long. high pressure has been, you know, lingering in the forecast. that's been keeping any real chance of rain really to our north and south and nothing for us here. forecasted highs for this afternoon, 67, morgan hill. 67, san jose. 68 for milpitas.

in through the east bay, 65. livermore also in the mid 60s. around the peninsula and through san francisco, mid 60s. for redwood city, 64. mission, 64. it will be a nice day in the city once the sun comes out and we get warmer, it will be better to enjoy the outdoors. 65 in novato. 66 in santa rosa. if you will be heading to l.a. nor the big game tomorrow, not only is it going to be beautiful here but it also will be beautiful in l.a. look at this. by kickoff temperatures should be in the upper 60s, maybe even a couple of 70s. perfect really for tailgating. i mean look at the pregame, 64. they're not worried about any rain either. we have a system that stays offshore, no concerns over rain. we have been monitoring the winds in southern california, the santa ana winds. it looks like things taper off through tomorrow, but high pressure continues to keep any real chance of rain to our north really the entire week. even leading into the first week of february, it is not looking good for us in the rain department. we see the dry winds pick up on tuesday from the northeast at 35

miles per hour. aside from breezy conditions this weekend we have a lot of sunshine in store through sunday for the big game tomorrow, whether that means you are enjoying it from home or heading down to l.a. kira, i'll send it back to you. >> thanks, vianey. it is 7:22. we have much more ahead. speaking of the game, now that the 49ers are on the national stage jimmy g is taking a lot of heat. still ahead on "today in the bay," who is rushing to his defense.

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welcome back. we are moving you forward as we look ahead to tomorrow's nchk championship game, the 49ers battling the rams for a spot in the super bowl, some wondering if it will come down to jimmy g. he's on the verge of leading the 49ers to their second super bowl in three years. as anthony flores tell us, the, have his back. >> reporter: imagine showing up knowing your replacement is in the building. that's what jimmy garoppolo had to do this season when the 49ers drafted trey lance. he didn't complain about it but focused on the job. now number 10 has the 49ers just one win away from their second trip to the super bowl in three years. whether it is at levi's stadium or on the road, jimmy garoppolo is one of the most popular players on the 49ers.

he's also the most polarizing, from the national media to 49ers' fans on social media. a lot of people have strong opinions about his play. >> dude is the definition of -- >> that's enough. >> -- project that gets an a while doing none of the work. >> his critics say the 49ers are winning with him, not because of him. he doesn't have a touchdown pass this postseason while making a few questionable throws. one part of his game that is never questioned, his toughness. he's playing through a thumb and shoulder injury. he also has the ability to lead his team under pressure like he did in green bay to set up the game-winning field goal. when it comes to his teammates, there's no doubt they have his back. deebo samuel posted on social media in support of his quarterback. >> i'm glad they're sticking up for him because what they say is the truth. i mean jimmy is one of the main reasons we're here. he has done an unbelievable job. people don't give him enough credit. >> when you're starting quarterback for the san francisco 49ers, you have a spotlight on you based on the

players that played the position before you. a lot of people try to bring you out of that spotlight and all jimmy has done is stand firm and continue to throw darts. >> reporter: jimmy g has the respect of his nfc championship opponent. he is 6 and 0 as a starter against the rams including a 17-point comeback victory in week 18. >> last game we played them we got to a big lead and dared jimmy to beat us and he went up there and beat us. >> reporter: winning is what he does best. i'm anthony flores for "today in the bay." >> we have more ahead on "today in the bay." the u.s. has reached a grim milestone in the fight against covid. this as we learn more about the omicron subvariant ba.2. the excitement building ahead of tomorrow's 49ers/rams face-off. the big send-off the team received last night as they took off for l.a. ♪♪

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♪♪ good morning. it is saturday, january 29th. the final weekend of january. a gorgeous look at the sun rising. a little bit of cloud cover over san jose. thank you so much for starting your weekend with us. i'm kira klapper. meteorologist v joins us with a quick look at the ima

mornings, because it is going to linger at let until about 9:00 a.m. when we finally start to warm up a little bit. by 10:00, 11:00, so pretty much your lunch hour, look at that, the sunshine prevails and we bump up into the 60s for the afternoon. a look right now at san francisco, it is about 45 degrees. we do have some cloud cover as well. now, we haven't been as foggy the past two days but we have stayed chilly, and the temperatures by about 12:00 for san francisco bump up into the 50s and then eventually, if you notice, by about 2:00 the sunshine prevails and we even get into the 60s for the city. so i'll take you through your daytime highs, the latest look at the drought monitor and the ten-day forecast coming up. kira. >> speaking of game day, anticipation is growing in the bay area for tomorrow's nfc championship game, with 49ers taking on the l.a. rams. the '9ers are now in los angeles, but they tweeted this video boarding the united

charter plane to fly down to l.a. last night. before they left, an army of their fans gave them a proper send-off. >> beat l.a.! beat l.a.! >> look at that. the 49er faithful cheering on the team as they left levi's stadium on the way to sjc. >> reporter: excitement from the 49er faithful showing up for the team. >> we're sending them good vibes, good luck. we know we're going to get this win. can't wait to see them in the super bowl. >> want this win to happen. let's bring it home. let's go, '9ers! >> reporter: it was a party-like atmosphere. fans said they had to show up for their guys. >> i went to the game since 1979 at candlestick. you have to be loyal to your team. >> reporter: it is the 49ers third team playing the rams this

season. they won first two including down in l.a. earlier this month. that's where the 49er l.a. chapter president says it was a sea of '9er fans. >> everywhere you went to buy a soda, whatever you want, it was nothing but red. the outside was read, the seats were red, wherever was just red. >> reporter: even though the tickets were restricted to l.a. zip codes earlier in the week, jose diaz expects another sell out. >> we will get in there one way or another. we did it once, we will do it again and again. >> reporter: according to stubhub the cheapest tickets are around $600. 43% of the tickets sold in the state were from the north, but the nor cal buyers have bought nearly twice as much as they bought for the game earlier this month at sofi stadium. the fans staying behind can't wait for sunday as the team is one win away from the super bowl. >> to show them, hey, as they drive out, we got your back and we love you so much because

football is everything. >> reporter: ian cull, "today in the bay." and we will give you a live look at sfo where united airlines, the official airline of the 49ers, will be surprising some lucky fans headed to l.a. for the game today. one flight from sfo to l.a.x. will be surprised with a pep rally before they depart. . our teammates at nbc sports bay area have it all covered. laura britt, joe staley, tekio spikes and dante whitner have a one-hour pregame show starting at 2:30 tomorrow. then be sure to switch back after the game to nbc sports bay area for "49ers postgame live." turning to a developing story in the south bay, members of the elks lodge in santa clara are devastated after this fire, massive fire tore through their building last night. hundreds of people had to evacuate. two people suffered burns and smoke inhalation. fire crews have been on the scene overnight to monitor any hot spots.

"today in the bay's" cheryl hurd was there. >> reporter: heavy smoke and flames billowing from the santa clara elks lodge tonight. one of the club's officers filled with emotion as she watched the building burn. >> i always help in the kitchen. today i was coming ten minutes late, and when i came i said, oh, no, just burning. two officers were inside the lodge. >> reporter: the fire started around 5:00 this evening. the battalion chief says it may have started in the kitchen. >> initial reports was a stove on fire. crews arrived on scene, there were heavy smoke and flames coming out of the front of the structure. the call was -- the fire was reported by two of the personnel working inside. >> reporter: they were inside preparing for the monthly fish fry fundraiser. kevin farmer was in the building next door getting ready for bingo night when he saw the flames. >> i immediately ran over, went

inside the building. i was going to try to put the flames out, but once i got up to where the kitchen was, it was too hot. a lot of the smoke was coming down from the ceiling. >> reporter: about 300 people next door had to be evacuated. the two people inside the burning building suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. >> it is such a devastating day for santa clara and elks lodge today. >> reporter: devastating because the elks in communities across the country do charity work for communities they serve. this chapter has been here for 67 years and has raised over $12 million for those in need. >> we pray that we will be able to rebuild. don't know how long that will take. >> reporter: cheryl hurd, "today in the bay." california's employment development department is under scrutiny and it has been throughout this pandemic. it is now experiencing a shake-up. the head of the edd has resigned after only about a year on the

job. rita saenz took over the edd in late 2020 as the department was dealing with a record number of unemployment claims and unprecedented fraud claims. the edd has been heavily criticized throughout the pandemic. governor newsom appointed the department's current deputy director of external affairs to take over. she will be sworn in on tuesday. this leadership change comes as the edd tries to sort through pandemic-related fraud claims. more than 1 million californians who received unemployment during the pandemic are now being told to prove that they were entitled to those benefits or pay them back. in our ongoing coronavirus coverage, the u.s. has now hit more than 74 million covid cases. that's according to an nbc news tally. more than 7 million cases are right here in california, and there are more than 76,000 new daily cases. california health leaders confirmed more cases of that new

omicron subvariant have been detected here in california as well. there are now 26 confirmed cases of ba.2, as it is called. they've so far been identified in santa clara county, tulare, los angeles, orange and san diego counties. new research is showing that subvariant is one-and-a-half times more contagious than the original omicron variant and it is already circulating in nearly half of the u.s. there is some good news though. the cdc says there's no evidence it is any more severe than omicron, and the uk health agency says ba.2 does not appear to reduce the effectiveness of any vaccine. happening today, sonoma county will be holding vaccine clinics at the county fair grounds. the clinic will be open today and tomorrow from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon. anyone who is eligible for a shot may receive the vaccine, but county health leaders tell us they are focused on children who have not yet gotten

vaccinated. the clinic will continue every weekend until february 20th. also today in the east bay, people in alameda county can get their booster shots. the county is hosting a free booster clinic for anyone 12 and old earl. that's today at 11:00 a.m. at the mastick senior center. if you live in san francisco and receive the johnson & johnson vaccine, you can now get your third dose. this move actually jumps ahead of federal recommendations. for recipients of the single-shot j&j vaccine. the city is providing the doses at city-run clinics and health centers. county health officials are also encouraging private providers to accommodate requests for third shots. they are calling on the state to lift mask mandates in schools. four doctors from ucsf are advocating this change. they wrote a letter to governor newsom and state health leaders and posted it here on change.org. more than 26,000 people have

signed the petition so far agreeing with them. they say children should be allowed to take off their masks when they are outside and then they want to make masks optional indoors beginning february 15th. that's the same date the state's indoor mask mandate is set to expire. we are continuing to follow negotiations between the west contra costa unified school district and teachers as they try to avert a strike. the issue is covid protocols. the teachers union is demanding high-quality masks for free for all students and weekly testing for all. that includes twice a week for classrooms that have three or more positive cases or independent study for that class while students quarantine. at 7:40, still to come on "today in the bay," tense moments in napa as a hot air balloon starts going down. we'll tell you how the pilot and the people on board made sure no one got hurt.

time and temperature on nbc bay area is brought to you by mancini sleep world. simply the best place to buy a mattress. good morning. it is 7:43. a beautiful shot of san francisco. we are going to have a lovely outdoor activities. a great shot of downtown san jose. we have a couple of clouds here and there but i want to take you to your temperatures as you head out the door because it is pretty cold right now. we are in the 30s and 40s. eventually by the afternoon

though we will bump up into the 60s. if you plan to enjoy the outdoors today, your air quality will remain moderate from the north bay down to santa clara valley. we have had this high pressure dominating in the area, so really we've had no chance for any of this air to mix out. it has just sort of been sitting stagnant over the region and it looks like the dry weather is expected to remain through the weekend. let's take a look at your forecast and highs for this afternoon. in san jose, 67 degrees. los gatos, 67. morgan hill, 67 degrees. in through the east bay, hayward at 65. antioch, 64. pleasanton, 65. around the peninsula, mid 60s for san mateo. if you are headed to san francisco it will be stunning because the temps will be in the mid 60s. a light breeze, not too gusty today for the city. to the north bay it will be in the mid to upper 60s for some areas. look at santa rosa at 66 degrees. novato at 65.

even though the dry weather has been persistent for the month of jacksonville, i want to give you an update on the latest on the latest drought alert. this is released every single thursday. as you know, without rain there's no significant updates or changes to the drought monitor. 66% of the state of california remains under a severe drought. 100% of the state of california remains under some form of drought, but at least you will notice no reds on the map and that's great. that means we're out of the extreme and exceptional category. let's take a look at the extended forecast because the dry weather is expected to continue. if you look at the time stamps right up here, wednesday, february 2nd, we have a system that stays to our north. no real chance of rain for us. then a system just offshore for us. the biggest impacts will be a kick-up in the winds heading into monday night and tuesday. because it has been so dry, there could be some elevated fire concerns but i want to make sure i send you off on a good note. 49ers and l.a., that game if you

had headed to sofi stadium, kicker at 3:30. temperatures will be in the upper 60s. look at that, 64 degrees for tailgating. a lot of sunshine. as you exit from the game, expect to dip into the low 60s, upper 50s. over the next seven days in san francisco it will be beautiful here at home for you to watch the game. 58 degrees. it starts out cloudy heading into the weekend. kira, i'll send it back to you. >> vianey, thanks so much. it is 7:46. we will be right back after this. hope you stick with us.

welcome back. we are back with a live look at the richmond san rafael bridge. you see police and fire responding to a crash there. chp is reporting it is a car versus guardrail. there is a sig-alert issued. three westbound lanes are blocked approaching the toll plaza. we are working to find out more and we will bring you to you as soon as we get it. for now avoid the westbound lanes of the richmond san rafael bridge. again, three lanes closed approaching the west side. i the sky. a hot air balloon and passenger hailed asir. this happened thursday. the balloon was carrying 13 people on a float over sonoma county and the burner that's used to control the altitude of the balloon suddenly fell off its rack.

the pilot and a passenger who happens to be a volunteer firefighter worked together to keep the balloon inflated until it touched down. everyone aboard walked away without injuries. the pilot says he is working with both the faa and the manufacturer of the gondola to figure out what went wrong. new this morning, a win on home soil for tennis player ash barty. she won the australian open this morning against danielle collins. barty was the first australian womens single finalist at the open since 1980, and it wasn't just barty making history winning the grand slam. the first all-australian men's doubles team also won the grand slam today we are just five days out from competition beginning in the 2022 winter olympics right here on nbc bay area. we have the scene in downtown beijing yesterday.

workers inspecting the structure at the themed national stadium where the open inceremony will be held. most spectators are banned from attending because of the pandemic. leaders in beijing have stepped up china's strict measures as it tries to prevent outbreaks before the olympics. we have a behind-the-scenes look how the action is coming to your screen. our special project director filmed this inside the international broadcast center. she is one of our team members inside of beijing. before the games begin we are telling the stories how bay area and lay tahoe olympians made team usa, the struggles and successes. tune in to our special "journey to the winter games" tonight at 6:30 right here on nbc bay area. it is 7:51. still ahead, a quick look at the top stories we are following including the excitement building ahead of tomorrow's 49ers/rams game. the big send-off from the 49er

faithful last night. everyone needs health insurance. covered california is making sure more people can get it. new federal funding of $3 billion is available to help more californians get covered. julie and bob are paying $700 less every month. dee now gets comprehensive coverage with no monthly premium. and the novarros are paying under $100 per month. check coveredca.com to see your new lower price. covered california. this way to health insurance. enrollment ends january 31st.

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welcome back. before we get to our top stories this morning, here is what you can expect tomorrow morning on "sunday today with willie geist." hey, willie. >> good morning, kira. great to see you. tomorrow on "sunday today," my new conversation with actor jamie dornan who became a global star playing christian grey in the billion dollar "fifty shades

of grey" franchise but now is getting praise for his performance in "belfast," the acclaimed film about the trouble in his home country of northern ireland. >> i feel like i have so much more to offer. in many ways i feel like i am just getting started. will there be people in the entirety of my career that will only see me as one character? yeah, sure, but that's on them. >> jamie dornan, plus the latest news and another life well lived when "sunday today" airs at 6:00 a.m. in the bay area. if you don't happen to be up at that hour on a sunday, set the dvr and we will see you when you are ready for us. kira. >> thanks, willie. here is a look at what we're following. 49ers faithful getting pumped for the nfc championship game. the 49ers tweeted this video while boarding their united charter plane to fly to los angeles last night. before they left some faithful gathered to give them a proper send-off as they left levi's

stadium for the airport. >> we're sending them a good vibe, good luck. we know we're going to get this win. can't wait to see them in the super bowl. >> really want this big win to happen. let's bring this win home. let's go, '9ers! >> according to stubhub, the cheapest tickets are about $600 right now. 43% of the tickets sold in the state were from the north. so hopefully there's a red out there tomorrow. taking a live look at sfo where united airlines which is the official airliner of the 49ers will be surprising lucky fans headed to the game today. one flight will be surprised with a pep rally before they depart. remember, our teammates at nbc sports bay area have it covered for you. they have a one-hour pregame show starting at 2:30 tomorrow. then be sure to switch back over

after the game to nbc sports bay area for 49ers postgame live. in other news, developing right now, the fire burning at big sur is inching closer to full containment. we learned moments ago from cal fire that the colorado fire is now 85% contained. it has been burning one week since last friday, scorching 700 acres south of carmel in the canyon near the bixby bridge. firefighters expect full containment by wednesday. all road closures and evacuations have been lifted. let's check in with mist vianey rana with a last look at the forecast before we go. >> if you are headed to l.a., this is what to expect for the big game at sofi stadium. perfect tailgating weather, sunshine, temps in the 60s, might hit some 70s for kickoff at about 3:30.

halftime show, 67 degrees. cooling in the afternoon towards the end of the game so keep that in mind. as far as the seven-day forecast we will stay drew through the weekend, temps remaining comfortable in the 50s and 60s. remember, we will keep the cold temperatures to start, even into early sunday morning. so lows in the mid 30s with daytime highs in the mid 60s for tomorrow. by monday we do have a system nearby. not expecting any rain out of it though. it will just bring some cloud cover. then we will see some winds start to pick up heading into tuesday from the northeast, 15 to 35 miles per hour. by wednesday and thursday temps will remain in the mid 60s. yes, we will stay dry through the start of february. january has proven to be one of the driest on record so far, so we will keep a close eye on that. hopefully we get a better chance of seeing some rain for the month of february. kira. >> we will keep our fingers crossed that rain will finally come. vianey, thanks. thanks to all of you for making us a part of your morning. we will have more local news for you tonight at 5:00, 6:00 and 11:00 and all day on

nbcbayarea.com. remember tonight at 6:30, our special "journey to the winter games" as we are just a few days away from the official start of the winter games. we'll see you back here tomorrow.

. narrator: when you see this symbol, you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. dylan: hi, everybody, i'm dylan dreyer and this is "earth odyssey". today, we head out to find the giants of the animal kingdom. we'll start in northern india, where one of the biggest species of crocodile is a lot more bark than its bite. then, in the galapagos, these massive reptiles are surviving and thriving at their own pace. and later, the search for water keeps these african giants on their toes. plus, we'll hang out with one of pemba island's largest locals.