inches of rain. compare that to san jose. here's the satellite and radar. you will notice what is happening. the front stalling over the front portion of the state. as a result we have been picking up rain fall to the central portions of the bay area. the bulk of today's action is happening right now. at 8:00 still scattered rain showers. not a lot to show you this afternoon. we still have to hold on to the possibility of a scattered shower. like i said the bulk of the action taking place over the next few hours. between now and 10:00. still a is a few pop up showers. here's your forecast some morning rain scattered showers into the afternoon. and temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s. not much movement with the

temperatures. still an active five-day forecast. that chance is favoring the north bay. we will bump up the probability by thursday night. more rainfall develops into friday. especially for friday evening. for saturday a cold storm moves in. but in the short-term we are still tracking rain down there were effecting the morning commute. let's check in with sal. traffic is moving along relatively well. there are some things going on out there. highway 4 this traffic looks pretty good coming up to the grade. the rain is coming down as mark mentioned on the east shore freeway. this traffic is moving along relatively well with no major problems. all over the east bay really. this is san francisco northbound 101 that traffic is moving along very nightly. there is no major problems. the rain is causing issues with

the morning commute. ktvu tara moriarty is on interstate 580. there is a problem in oakland. tara. >> reporter: that is right. this is actually at the onramp of coolage average. there is a tree that fell in the roadways. there is two lanes. they have cleared one of them now. you can see they have fired up their chain saws here. happened less than an hour ago. chp first on the scene. 15 minutes ago the cal tran crews arrived. it's a huge tree. about 70 feet tall. you usually hear about these things when it rains. the ground is saturated and coupled with the wind. this is the onramp eastbound at 580. we recommend going down a couple blocks to 35th avenue and getting on to the freeway there instead. the bulk of rain will happen during your morning commute.

it will dispate and probably return tomorrow night but most likely in the north bay. it's still windy out there make sure you are driving safely across those. i heard from cal tran crews they will be bringing out the woodchipper so they can break apart the tree here. but again drive safely. there is a lot of standing water on the roadways. live from oakland i'm tara moriarty. another overnight large tree was removed -- overnight a large tree was removed. spokesperson for public works says the incident was definitely rain related. he says it looks like the hill the tree was sitting on gave it away. also overnight a man was hit and killed on southbound 101 in san mateo. that happened about 12:30 this morning. all lanes did reopen just a few

hours ago. highway patrol officers say they received multiple calls of a man staggering in the road, then calls came in reporting the man had been hit. the victim has been pronounced dead at the scene. >> at this time we don't know if drugs or alcohol played a factor. all we know he was seen by numerous citizens staggers on the side of the roadway. >> highway patrol officers say the victim is a 22-year-old from san jose but not release his name. the driver involved in the crash is cooperating with the investigation. new this morning a strong earthquake struck japan about 2.5 hours ago. prompting a small tsunami. the 6.8 quake hit at 2:00 this morning. a swell of a few inches was seen along the coast. there are no reports of any damage. some coastal communities were

evacuated because of fears of a larger wave. this morning oakland police are expected to release more information about an officer involved shooting. christien kafton joins us from oakland. >> reporter: we are waiting for more details about that shooting. let's give you a live look. this is where the shooting took place. the scene has been cleared. we are looking for neighbors that may know something. the whole incident happened about 9:00 last night. oakland police officers opened fire on a man that they say was armed with a shotgun. there is no word if he raised that shotgun and took aim at the officers. the officer that was shot was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. we are hearing reports police may have been tailing that man

for some time before that shooting and may have been a suspect in another incident. we tried contacting local police looking for a shooting. we have learned that there was another shooting in this neighborhood a month ago about eight or nine blocks in that direction. no word if these two incidents is connected. that is something we will be asking oakland police once we hear from them. for now we are live in oakland christien kafton. oakland police are looking for four suspects. one man was wounded in a shooting last night in an apparent setup. the victim drove himself to a walgreens drugstore following a robbery and shooting a few miles away. police say he was shot in the shoulder after meeting with four men on a street corner. witnesses say the victim wanted to buy cell phones he saw advertised on craigs list.

an eight-year-old richmond boy is recovering after being shot and wounded while riding in his family's car. richmond's shot spotter system reported that gunfire. the shooting happened monday night following a traffic dispute near the hill top drive exit near interstate 80. the boys father made an abrupt lane change that outraged another driver. >> he got over in a lane and cut this person off inadvertently. not intentionally. the driver of the other vehicle let it known he was upset. >> the driver followed the family car for an hour before following several rounds striking the child that was in the backseat. the boy was listed in good condition. the gunman was driving an older model black crown victoria similar to a police car.

trying to calm tensions in afghanistan after am u.s. sold -- after a u.s. soldier shot and killed afghan citizens. in election news this morning republican presidential candidate rick santorum pulled off a surprise southern sweep. winning the primaries in alabama and mississippi. santorum was projected to come in third in both states. instead he took 35% of the vote in alabama. followed by 29% for newt gingrich and mitt romney. ron paul got 5%. in mississippi santorum with 30%. >> the crowds we had in alabama and mississippi i just have to tell you i was so encouraged. all the polls showed us

trailing. they kept coming out. they say we are going to go out and work hard. >> there had been speculation that newt gingrich would drop out if he didn't win in alabama or mississippi. and romney is not the inevitable nominee. >> in both states the conservative candidates got nearly 70% of the vote. if you're the front runner and keep coming in third, you are not much of a front runner. >> overnight results show romney did win the caucuses in hawaii anisi moe a. next up is missouri which holds its caucus this saturday. we will continue to follow the gop race for president on your website ktvu.com. there has been another step forward for a new 49er stadium. they approved the stadium lease

agreement. the deal calls for the 49ers to pay $30 million a year to the stadium authority. the council also approved a $1.7 billion finance deal for the stadium construction project. we understand sal has breaking news. >> yeah. it's a car that is completely engulfed in flames. we can see it from one of our cameras here. it's kind of hard because it's wet, but this is on a city street in oakland. it's actually in emeryville. jj if you are listening you can pull back a little bit. maybe we can see in relationship to where it is. so there it is. there is the small thing. that is the car fire and then jj is panning to the left. there is the freeway. the fire department knows about it. they're on their way. again this car is completely engulfed in flames. you can kind of see it there. the fire department has not arrived yet. let's take a look at the commute. this is a look at the bay bridge toll plaza.

this traffic is moving along relatively welcoming out to the toll plaza. the morning commute looks pretty good on northbound 2080 -- 280 getting up to highway 17. let's go to mark. we are looking at live storm tracker 2 radar. not a lot of action to show you in the south bay. maybe in the form of a few sprinkles. you can see the darker shade of green from napa to fairfield, concord, heading out toward san rafael. that is corresponding to moderate rain. santa rosa reporting rain showers. the bulk of the action will be happening in the short term. as far as current numbers it is mild out there. no freezing temperatures to contend with. both of the regions starting out in the r50s with san francisco at 54. san jose 56. and fairfield around 54 degrees. morning rain will gradually spread to the south. we still have to hold on to a

chance of a few showers. you can see the coverage on the radar. and in the pacific we have more activities. more storms developing. three more we will be tracking over the next few days. highest chance for thursday will be up in the north bay and spreads to the south throughout the evening hours on thursday. friday another round of rain could be heavy especially by friday evening. and saturday the cold pool of air associated with this. when you have a storm series you have the warm part and cold part. that cold part moves in this weekend. that will destabilize the atmosphere enough. we could be talking about a few thunderstorms and low snow levels in the bay area. a winter storm withinning in place until 11:00 this morning. storm totals will be on the order of 1-3 feet. snow levels around 5,000 feet. but after today primary into thursday and friday we will have increasing snow levels before they collapse once again into the weekend.

always a lot going on with our weather pattern. here's our cloud and rainfall forecast. into the afternoon hours especially early afternoon we have to hold on to the possibility of a few scattered rain showers. here we are this will take its time getting here for thursday. especially by the evening hours. the rain spreading to the south and dispating. this is not a major deal. by friday night this next one moves in. as a result moderate to heavy rainfall head into the bay area. for today morning rain and scattered showers. temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s. here is your five-day forecast with your weekend always in view. rain fall redeveloped into friday. there is the thunderstorm into saturday to reflect cold air. low snow levels and temperatures only in the low to mid 50s. at this point sunday appears to be the best day of the weekend with a chance of shower.

another forecast update in a few minutes. >> you know what that means more snow expected in the sierra today and chp is warning people to slow down. they say it has been a slow year, but this weeks storm is bringing more traffic into the mountains. there has been a number of accidents including a six-car pileup. if you're heading to the sierra today chains or four wheel drive is required on interstate 80. no restrictions on highway 50. that can change from day-to- day. >> mark said the storm warning until 11:00 this morning. they have extended it. it's still a lot of snow up there. coming up caught red handed. the precious metal they were after. president obama enjoys college basketball with britain's prime minister but the more serious issues the two are expected to take up today. good morning, sunol grade traffic moving along relatively

well. we'll tell you more about the morning commute and the bay weather.

good wednesday morning. we are tracking quite a bit of rain for a good portion of the bay area. not a lot happening in the south bay.

afghan -- in the video the unidentified soldier is seen walking up to his base covered with a traditional afghan shawl. he puts his weapon on the ground and raises his arm in surrender. the u.s. authority showed it to prove he acted alone. some villagers say two soldiers were involved. meantime u.s. defense secretary leon panetta is in afghanistan this morning. these are the first pictures taken of his arrival. the afghanistan visit was planned months before the shooting rampage. he is expected to meet with the afghan president karzai and some of the troops. among those calling for a quicker exit bay area con impressional leaders jackie spear, barbara boxer, and barbara lee. defense secretary panetta and chairman of the house armed

services committee says the u.s. should stick to president obama's timeline. the president's plan calls for withdrawing troops by the end of 2014. this morning president obama will welcome british prime minister to the white house with a formal ceremony including a 19 gun salute. they are on a two-day visit to the u.s.. last night the president and prime minister flew together on air force 1 to watch the opening game of the ncaa tournament. today they will hold talks at the white house. that will be followed by a former state dinner. two men are accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of bronze railings. two men loosening the rail screws in the middle of the night. police say the men later removed the railing and moved them in the truck. police staked out the area and arrested the men when they returned. >> if they wouldn't have came

back we couldn't have caught these men. >> transients charles rose were arrested. they stole $30,000 worth of railing. there is concern this morning about more possible victims of a male nanny accused of molesting children in santa clara county. john walker was arraigned thursday on 13 counts of child molessation and -- molestation. the 31-year-old made her first public appearance in new york city this weekend where oprah winfrey presented her with an award. dugard told dianne sawyer in an interview last night she plans to stay in hiding because she

wants her girls to have a normal life. >> we were in that situation together and they know what happened and it's time to move on and start fresh. >> dugard that survived being kidnapped and held captive for 18 years has been living in seclusion since being found in 2009. phillip garrido and his wife nancy are serving life sentences. california high speed rail authority is giving previews and listening to comments about it from the public. about 600 people packed into a mountain view theater for a session of give and take. high speed rail will bring new jobs to california. others were more concerned how it will effect their communities along the rail way. >> i'm concerned it will ruin my neighborhood. drop property values. >> we believe that high speed

rail remains an important part of california's future. that it's fundamentals are sound. >> next month the high speed rail authority all present its final business plan. in june they must decide if the project will officially launch. 4:51 is the time. a big trade for the golden state warriors. the familiar face back in and the star player who is out. and dense black smoke over boston. the fire that caused it and the massive power outage that is causing problems this morning.

power is expected to restored in boston's back bay area after a huge transformer there. dense black smoke poured into the air shortly after the fire

started. about 10,000 customers lost power. one person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. the cause of the fire is under investigation. the golden state warriors finally have the big man they have been wanting for years. but they gave up his best player to give him. they traded monta ellis to the milwaukee bucks. in exchange they get center andrew boguut. he was the bucks number one draft pick in 2005 but currently out for the season with a fractured left season. >> hope next year the warriors will finally get it together. time is 4:55. the roads are wet again out there. how are they look something >> they are wet. a lot of people didn't like that trade. we'll see what happens. let's take a look at the commute now. we have a look at 80 westbound. there is word of an accident at the top of your screen.

i don't see anything unusual. it's reported west 80 at gillman street. i don't see anything blocked. maybe they are over to the shoulder. reported west 80 at gilman street. it could be before that or the accident isn't there anymore. let's move along and take a look at westbound bay bridge. there is a small delay at the toll plaza. nothing major. it's tough driving into the city. there is a new crash in san francisco and overturned vehicle southbound 101 at third street. chp is running a traffic break here. southbound 101 just north of candle stick at third. two lanes blocked with an injury accident. overturned vehicle. the fire department is also on the way. 4:56 let's go to mark. hi there sal. good morning, to you. a look at all this action with all the green showing up. no yellows or reds. still heavier downpours out there. especially with this darker shade of green from vacaville

to fairfield closer to concord and the oakland area as well. we do have quite a bit of standing water on the roadways. this mornings commute will continue to be a challenge. we had picked up rainfall overnight. san tap cruz mountains have been picking up a lot of rain over the past 24 hours. we've had the winds pushing the clouds closer to the terrain. the terrain moves the clouds. san jose not a lot of rainfall over the past 24 hours. we could have a few sprinkles right now. just reporting mostly cloudy skies. here we go with the forecast for today where we do have rainfall totals you notice the totals with ben low man nearly five inches of rain. compare that with san jose which is .01. we will at to that over the next few days.

a few scattered showers about 9:00. there is not a lot of coverage by 3:00 or 4:00. we will hold on to the possibility of a scattered shower. the next system approaches. that moves in for tomorrow. especially up in the north bay as we head into the afternoon and evening hours. forecast highs this afternoon. upper 50s to lower 60s. there is a chance of a shower. rainfall redevelops into friday. we could be tracking thunderstorms by saturday. another forecast check minutes away. all right we have developing news from overnight. a major earthquake hit japan creating tsunami warnings. searching for clues after an officer involved shooting. fallen trees, high winds and plenty of rain. we are on storm watch this morning. we'll tell you about the traffic double spots you will want to -- trouble spots you will want to avoid this morning.