it is a rare sight in the bay area. kind of pretty, right? we will check out the views on this first alert weather day. >> this is rare when it's at

home. we never have it here. >> it's cool. >> you got it this morning. good afternoon. eye reed cowan. you want to build a snowman? in just an hour from now parts of the bay area will be under an official winter storm warning. it's pretty behind me. the cold storm brought this bel e to bay area mountain tops, a blanket of snow. across the region, snow in the santa cruz mountains and on the hills above fremont and mission peak and highway 5. snow prompted a road closure because of slippery conditions out there. on the right you see the heavy equipment doing the job. we can tell you the road has since reopened. mount diablo almost white out conditions at that high elevation. the trees were icy. now from the chopper you can see entire hilltops and mountain sides across the bay area coated with the beautiful fresh snow, a blanket of snow over henry coe park. then to the west, the black

mountain camera caught the furious flurries this morning. we sent out all kinds of people. team coverage beginning with paul heggen. >> we see more snow showers. they are in the higher elevations of the bay area with rain showers for the majority of the bay area population. that will remain the case as the more substantial moisture moves in later this evening and schnitt. patchy showers in the north bay and in the valleys it's . a shower over elhills. those aren't high enough for snow at those elevations just yet. it's a possibility tomorrow morning. santa clara mountains and higher peaks are seeing the snow shower activity. this is patchwork shower activity. the more substantial moisture moves in later this evening

and tonight. rain chances go up tonight. the good news, it will hold off until after the peak of rush hour. we have to deal with lingering showers for friday's commute. above 1500 feet we have winter storm warning through 11:00 a.m. friday. the higher you go the heavier the amounts will be and a wind advisories is in effect through 4:00 p.m. strongest this evening and tonight. gusts up to 45 miles per hour. be prepared for more power outages as if we didn't have enough already. hour by hour in a few minutes. dear mother nature, settle down a bit. some families went up to look at the snow. >> reporter: it's incredible the difference that a couple of hours and a few degrees can make. we are in the same spotted as we spent the morning and this area behind me looks like a

stunning winter wonderland. right now it looks like it never even happened. this is some video we saw this morning from are the same locatiinches of snow in the santa cruz mountains. it wasn't enough to stick to the roads but it was plenty to dust the trees and play around with. we had a blast ourselves making a snowman earlier. these scenes led many to pull over and check out the snow with a handful of families stopping and playing for a bit. we spoke to a father-daughter video who enjoyed the snow early in the morning but disappointed to see it melted when they returned. >> i grabbed the snow with my gloves owned an threw it at him. >> a few hours back it was covered in snow. we thought we would catch it but it melted away quick. she found a little still on one of the car's windshields and she took advantage and made a snowball out of what was left. >> and i threw it at him.

>> reporter: the snow this area got was memorable for some of the local families. earlier we caught up with a family that made sure to stop by and appreciate the snow before school started. >> we have been in the snow many times. >> not here, tahoe or the mountains to play but this is rare when it's at home because we never have it here. >> it's cool. >> reporter: temperatures were offering around 38 degrees. according to the weather team that is enough for all the snow to melt away in a couple of hours. right now we are just of mountains.anta cr we saw caransewcleaning debris the roads. at this point they appear to be safe and back to normal after the really exciting morning of snow. >> help, check this out. this is lake observatory on mount hamilton. they tweeted out this photo saying caltrans is closed off through sunday which leads up to the observatory. we are seeing all kinds of reaction to the snow on social

media. this is the community conversation virtually. this is joan. she tweeted pictures showing snow blanketing a deck that is otherwise a nice look out point. the snow fell up here and he told his dog to be careful then i ended up sliding down the stairs on my butt filming this. yes, we say that at 3:00. be safer. we are not used to these conditions. snow is not blanketing all of the bay area. there is a super tiny dusting of snow in the oakland hills. not snowing but looks like more to come adding this east coast girl wants to make a snowman. we want to see more pictures and video if you can get them safely with the slippery roads and ow ee usg >>e upte y area power oes you are without electricity. mostly we understand along the peninsula. more than 17,000 customers there are still in days after h

winds toppled power poles. anne makovec has an update. >> reporter: crews in men low park were working to restore power. we hope it happens in the next couple of hours. some spots it's been out for days taken up by falling trees and lines and the powerful winds. this afternoon, the chopper spotted crews blocking off all northbound lanes of highway 101. they had to remove a fallen tree before they could make repairs to the power line. pg&e said 80% of the crews in the bay area are working on repairs in san mateo county. the utility is facing fires from politicians. mike berman said pge failed miserably in communicate wearing its customers. my staff has made many calls and spoken to residents without heat. we must do better. pg&e tweeted an apology for

the long delay saying they had to work out the 101 closure this afternoon with caltrans and chp. businesses in redwood city are making due trying to stay open while the lights are open off. the people at tough adjustment. >> we are escorting everyone through the stores, especially so they can see because it's dark inside. >> reporter: should be back on for most people tonight. and everybody should charge devices. if you need to do so, do it at community resource centers or libraries. a 1-year-old boy was critically injured after a tree came crashing through the home during the windstorm. his name is milo. he is in stable condition now. his family finally sort of able to breathe and surface from the fear and trauma came out of the hospital to thank the community for their

support. >> amazing to know that we were surrounded by such wonderful people with such wonderful hearts. >> the best feeling in the world, honestly. it is. so many things you worry about, right? the most important one is that will he live? that wasn't a guarantee. to gethat guarantee really makes a difference because everything else becomes secondary. >> everything else secondary. katherine and her husband, we are with you. milo was treated at the brokenpeis and say he will survive. good news. stay with cbs news bay area for first alert weather coverage throughout the broadcast and the storm. we have you covered on air and online. we posted a link to warming centers at kpix.com. we are hearing firsthand from oakland mayor thao on recent verse sis, one on the

firing of police chief leronne armstrong. we asked her why she made the controversial move. we continue tracking the changing weather. snow is the big story today and our chances for rain. paul has you covered in

welcome back, everybody. a first alert weather day. here is a look at the rare bay area snowstorm. this is in the santa cruz mountains. you see people pulling out cell phones to get pictures

there. paul is back with the full forecast in a couple of minutes. it has been a week since leronne armstrong was fired. we have been asking for mayor thao to talk to us about what she said, that she lost confidence in the chief and made the decision to separate him from the city without cause. so, a lot of questions, right? today we are hearing from the mayor firsthand on that decision. ryan yamamoto asked her what everybody wants to know, what specifically did chief armstrong do? >> again, i have great respect for chief armstrong. i have a -- you know, we worked together well when i was on the city council. it's unfortunate that i no longer have the confidence. he could do what was needed to reform the police department and move from under the federal oversight. you know, we have a federal judge overseeing the oversight of the city that he said was pr and that the independent

investigative report demonstrated cultural problems in the department. we have to work to ensure that we are making sure that we are not just checking boxes in front of the judge but at the same time that these cultural significant issues are addressed. so, right now, we are focused on what we are going to do next. and, again, that process has begun. we will do a nationwide search with the hopeful, you know, want of having the chief be a local person here. but, i do believe that we can create a plan for reforming the problems identified in the independent investigative report. reforming opd internal investigation, two potentially a civilian component into iad investigations and strengthening civilian oversight. accountability is critical but it's essential that we fix what went wrong in this. so, goes it's due to those reasons why i felt that we have to make a change. >> getting out from underneath

that oversight has been important. because of that, you have received the support for your decision but also have you been surprised by the backlash from oakland's black leaders, especially from the naacp? >> well, you know, i know that, you know, leronne was born and raised here.ate end t what we do, how we move forward as a city, that to be m store. the city of oakland, the residents, the businesses here and ensuring that we get out from over the federal oversight is incredibly important. again, in making sure that we do that, the federal judge overseeing the city said he was profoundly disappointed in regards to what the independent investigative report demonstrated. moving forward, i do feel strongly it's the right move. we have to, you know, change course and be able to move forward in a way where we can address the cultural issues. >> one year from now when the dust settles, what do you

think people will say about your decisions? >> we will see what happens when the dust settles but, again, i do believe strongly in the decision that i made and stand by it. again, the chief serves at the pleasure of the mayor. with this being said as we move forward into this administration, we are geared toward making sure that we have strong ties with our opd department and the community as well. >> so, tweet us if you think the question that you have about the firing of former police chief armstrong were answered there. we would echo our call to invited the mayor to come here, sit on set minus notes, talking points and just answer questions in a conversation. the full eight-minute exchange between ryan yamamoto and the mayor is available at kpix.com. tweet us your thoughts. more first alert weather. not just people out enjoying the area. the chopper captured this bird, kind of a big bird keeping watch over a regional

wilderness area. this is the antler point overlook. we think it may be a golden eagle. that is really keeping the wings tight and body warm. >> bird of prey of some sort and perched and found the right spot to keep an eye on everything. >> we could put a bubble by the bird. isn't this supposed to be warmer? >> it's cold. let's take a look at what is in store for us, first alert weather day tomorrow. the rain picks up in intensity tonight for most of us across the area. snow line above 1500 feet. maybe snowflakes mixed in to a thousand feet in elevation. no accumulations at that level. staying wet tomorrow all the way through saturday morning. especially the southern half of the area. brief break before the next storm arrives on sunday with probably slightly higher snow

levels. scattered showerw 2,000 feet s t wiin thehigher elevations. let's track whe fi ve of de rain movee ak ofsh and then more tonight start the day on friday. les e rofor thwhy it's a first alert weather day. the friday ing comme witreacherous in the higher elevations. i will somehow the highways to worry about. off and on showers throughout the day. some snow levels closer to the 12 to 1500-foot level but it will be a mix as you drop lower in elevation then we will see more moisture trying to surge up toward us. the heart of the system is to the south by tomorrow night to early saturday. some of the moisture wraps around it and one more chance of showers dropping north to south across the bay area then we largely dry out heading into the afternoon and overnight hours. the dry break does not last

long. more clouds sunday with more showers mid- to late morning on sunday. any outdoor stuff you have to get done this weekend, saturday afternoon will be the best timeframe. adding up the snow on futurecast, keeping an eye on the highways in the santa cruz mountains. the communities will pick up an inch or two of snow, the higher elevations will be on the peaks in between the communities. so, to 2s burethan that in the higher ground to the east in the santa clara hills. close to 8 inches of snow on mount hamilton. california 1230 will be treacherous -- 130 will be treacherous making your way. could see minor accumulations on highway 24 approaching the caldecott tunnel. any accumulation would be on lawns and rooftops as opposed

to the roads. i don't think we will see much more than a few flakes in the air around santa rosa but more up in elevation in northern sonoma and napa counties. for most of us rain. it will be well distributed across the bay area. this is enough to have a beneficial impact on the overall drought situation especially with respect more rain sunday and monday. the other factor is the winds will be gusty, especially this evening. wind advisory through 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. the windiest is between now and 3:00, 4:00 in the morning. 20 to 30 miles per hour sustained. winds backing down tomorrow. the wind advisory goes until 4:00 p.m. i don't think it needs to. the winds should be slacking off into the first half of tomorrow. di raicesunday and continuing monday and tuesday and it will be chilly. temperatures tonight in the upper 40s to around 50.

the temperatures don't change much. the next wave of rain will be associated with maybe slightly warmer conditions. it does make a difference in terms of the snow level at the highest elevations. probably above 2,000 feet maybe the best we can hope for. a couple of dry days in store to start off the month of march. >> thank you, my friend. coming up, making his mark on the community. during the black history month how a san

welcome back. black history month we are highlighting bridge builders including groups helping local artist with the crazy cost of living. an artist from the bay view is showing his community how to go after opportunities that are sometimes steps away. >> reporter: each stroke on canvass comes from intuition, imagination, an inner belief in himself. >> i knew that i would be an artist. i always felt that i was an artist. >> reporter: he taught himself to paint and skull' with whatever supplies he could gather as a child his work traveled the world. >> when i didn't have the money i would say i will take this canvass and travel subconsciously to where i would like to go. >> reporter: a short walk away from his hunter's point shipyard studio, he runs into childhood friends. they can laugh and smile even when their shared past has been haunting in many ways

>> people get shot at, my friends getting squared for life right here in this area, you know. this is actually the epicenter of a lot of strive and struggle but a lot of resilience. >> reporter: that reminder of resilience he shares working as a life coach, mentoring underserved youth that are often not enrolled in school. >> you talk about where it is that they actually want to go, how they want to go about getting there, not for the sake of disappearance, not for the sake of escapism but the idea of i can actually go where i say i want to go. >> reporter: the shipyard trust for the arts hehire a stu inspire as an artist. his community sees his artwork on buildings nearby. >> where can we as african american artists be a part of the discussion so that then

artists all cultures abroad with come together in the city and do something great. >> reporter: his sculpture of a falcon landing on a wave captures the message. >> surviving, staying alive, making good out of life, you know. allowing yourself to be carried by your ideas that you want for your life and making that happen for yourself. >> reporter: the arts community gave him an opportunity. he is hoping his work and example can open more doors for others to follow. less than an hour from now we will be showcasing and celebrating more history in black in the bay join us on kpix and streaming on cbs news bay area. we will be right back.

paper being crumpled more paper being crumpled music: “i wish” by skee-lo boom! sound of paper balls landing in bins office workers cheering music stops why do we shoot baskets with paper balls? for the same reason we play scratchers from the california lottery. because a little play can make your day. logo scratches on

we need snow jackets. rare snow in the bay area. >> my parents live outside of minneapolis. you know how much snow they got. >> you women's. >> 19 inches in the suburbs. >> we won't complain. >> we get snow. >> the views are amazing. check it out right here. do we have some of that. beautiful pictures there to see. >> yeah. this is the chopper view. we had this all day long. this is where the snow added up, on the tops of the peaks and ridge lines.

it will drop down tonight potentially impact the highways through the eyer elevations. >> you hear that vibration that is the deer. their knees are knocking. have a great afternoon. ♪ ♪ >> norah: tonight, a special edition of the "cbs evening news." we are here on one of the largest warships in the world, a u.s. navy aircraft carrier that has just returned from the south china sea. and just today, cbs news learning the pentagon plans to increase the number of troops in taiwan as the independent island hopes to hold off chinese aggression. ♪ ♪ tonight come aboard the uss nimitz, with 5,000 of america's finest, the concern tonight about the possibility of a new cold war. this time with china. ♪ ♪ the u.s. warning china may sen