so this is how much snow we have at blue canyon. when you talk about the snow you also talk about the driving conditions up here. it has been slow going on interstate 80 but relatively accident free. >> reporter: the chain controls were up and snowfall was constant. >> say hi. >> reporter: charlie and his family expected this. >> we kind of knew. it has been snowing for 10 days straight or something like that. >> reporter: since thursday it has been snowing in the sierra on and off, mostly on, more than 6 feet of snow in some places. how does this winter compare to some others. >> probably the best i guess in 30 years. >> reporter: if you're familiar with the drive, you can see it is coming down steady. this is where the chain control is located. once our chains were on it was a slow but relatively easy 15- mile drive up to blue canyon. chp says traffic was light and with no significant accidents. cal-trans piles kept the interstate open and fairly clear this afternoon. >> i have never driven up here with this much snow. it is crazy

the pass was empty and was so all the way to blue canyon. we're driving on eastbound interstate 80 and the road is closed behind us. it's about 1:00 and we're starting to see quite a bit of traffic on westbound interstate 80 indicating it may be open from that direction. westbound 80 was open to cars, no trucks at about 1:00 p.m. the delay was longer eastbound as the snow was still piled up on the road. some people decided to turn around, others were determined to get to the resorts and waited it out. >> 3:00. >> that's not that bad. we can maybe set a couple of dvds. open a bottle of wine. right. >> reporter: this is what the road problems are all about, that's the problem we've seen here in the last day or so, several feet. you can see how much snow we have here on blue canyon, what that did to the roadways and what that caused, snow slides over the summit. there's still concerns about snow slides that's why semi trucks are not allowed right now on i80. >>> our chief meteorologist bill martin is tracking the radar. he'll tell us where the

reporter: frank it is coming down very heavy here at blue canyon. they are stronger winds than we had here yesterday. you mentioned 3 feet of snow, looks like every bit of that of new snow since we were here at bleu canyon yesterday. just trying to walk around in it is nearly impossible. might as well forget about it. we brought a shovel today, not to dig but we brought it for the truck. the shovel is about five feet. it's gone and i'm nowhere near the bottom. the snow is good for the water supply. but this much snow for the commute over the summit is a real problem. interstate80 is shut down due to low visibility. some people simply had to turn around. >> reporter: this one shot tells the story in the sierra today, a semi truck had just exited in nayak, his trailer twisted and he was stuck. it took several tries to dislodge him. but truck drivers were not alone. >> when i get you out we will turn you around. >> reporter: the driver of this mercedes plowed and lost control. >> i think he might have been going a little fast. >> reporter: there have b

this is the blue canyon newsroom. my little shelter i built out of sticks down there. >> very nice. >> reporter: some serious digging to get inside. let me show you around here. this is the little cooking area out here. get some hot chocolate going a little bit later. but inside it's a shelter built out of sticks three winters ago and i thought this winter this is going to do it, it's going to crush this thing. but here it is. boy scout engineering the thing is still standing and christmas lights still shining some three winters later. >> you're a little crazy. >> reporter: no, i'm serious. it's warmer in here than it is out there. there's no wind. it's not blowing. it's nice and calm. it's wonderful. >> where's the hot chocolate? >> reporter: i'll make it. i will make it. any add ons i'll have that as well. >> very nice. before you go can you tell us you were talking about five feet expected. a lot of people are looking at the snow thinking i would like to drive up there this weekend. any indication of what it's goin

i can tell you that blue canyon -- you're looking at the interstate 80 here at blue canyon.there is more snow on the road than early creditor this afternoon. but the plows are coming by. chain rule is in effect from baxter to truckee. train controls in effect over the summit. we are seeing fairly light traffic and driving is not too bad despite the controls. ken pritchard, channel 2news. >>> more snow in the sierra. more snow on hamilton in the south bay today and road leading to the top of that mountain is currently closed. our reporter was allowed past the barricades and she will show us how they are dealing with the new snow. we have continuing storm watch coverage during this newscast and on our website. you can track this next storm as it moves in with live radar from storm tracker 2. just go to ktvu.com. >>> providing dramatic testimony today in the barry bonds' trial. >> reporter: prosecutors today called their first witness to testify that he actually had firsthand knowledge of barry bonds using steroids. for the first time since a bitter breakup in 2003, barry bonds

and it just continues to come down here at blue canyon. again, over the sierra crest, 7,000 feet, imagine what's going on there. it is even deeper at the crest as drivers are battling their way through the conditions this morning. this system is a little different than some of the others that have come through in the last few days because of wind. this has a lot of wind with it. already starting to swirl around this morning, and we do expect the winds to pick up close to 100-mile-an-hour near the crest as the main brunt of this latest system bears down on the sierra. now let's talk about the snow totals because it is impressive. sierra ski resorts reporting over 700 inches of snow for the season. that's over 60 feet of snow that's fallen here in the sierra. on the ground right now, closer to 25 feet of snow. and it is no surprise that people up near the lakes area are coming up to second stories of their home and walking out onto snow. that's how deep it is up there. right now this season so far is fourth when you compare it to season tota

amber lee talked to some of those frustrated drivers, she joins now from blue canyon, amber. >> reporter this is some of the snow they just pushed off i80. what that transferred to is one big headache. while the snow has just temporarily stopped dropping, you can see cars still making their way slowly to blue canyon. that's because they haven't since the storm. >> i think we left at 12:30. so yeah, we probably have another 50 miles to go. >> reporter: in traffic. >> probably the last three hours in the car going very, very slow. >> reporter: chain controls -- >> frustrating. >> reporter: or freeway shut downs. >> i was getting tired, a bunch of my game systems were running out of battery. >> reporter: leading to what looked like a block party of trapped travelers. >> i was waiting for about five hours. >> reporter: just before 5:00 they were free at last. leading to this rat race. >> so exstatic, i just want to go home. >> reporter: only to be stopped again. >> i am hoping to get on i guess before they close it again. >> reporter: caltrans blames the freeway closures on poor visibility a

at blue canyon, this is ktvu, channel 2 news. [ music ] >> talked about it last night. this morning's commute a mess. tomorrow morning's commute going to be worse. here is the rain right now in hayward and fremont. and not a big deal. the story will be tomorrow morning here is the latest computer model. at 6 a.m. the front is just getting here. the winds are just kicking up. the rainfall rates are heavy, especially in the north bay. starting to rain pretty strong right along the peninsula right right in the heart of the commute at 7 a.m. it's going off wet and windy. wind advisories on the bridge. urban and small flood extreme advise stream advisory in effect. we move into 8:00 it intensifies. here is what i am thinking. if you can commute and take bart or go in a little bit later you may want to avoid these hours between 6, 7 and 8:00. here at 9:00 and it still goes. tapers off. into the afternoon it is all good. but that chunk in the morning is going to be nasty. when i come back at 10:45 i will have the complete long range forecast. it does show some more rain out th

still digging out in the blue canyon newsroom. stairs coming out now.the accommodations here where yeah, it keeps piling up. some of the ski areas reporting totals over 600 inches, they are digging the lifts out. here you can see a light snowfall. couple that with wind and that light snowfall becomes treacherous especially with the light snow on the top of the snowpack. you drive along the freeway, the embankments sor high that it's blowing it across the windshield. a couple of moments we had white knuckle moments coming up blue canyon. temporary white-outs. so, further up you go it starts snowing harder. this as the clouds are squeezing up the mountain. the the higher up the more intense the snowfall becomes. dumping a lot of snow up on the mountains there. the further you go up 80 the snowier it gets and for the skiers and snowboarders, wow, it's another powder day. darn. you have to battle your way. i think today is going to be stormy so bring your foul weather gear if you are headed to the mountains. bring your patience if you're trying to get over

. >> you can see the snow is still coming down here at blue canyon. and we got very heavy snow yesterday. what you're looking at right now -- [audio difficulties] >> westbound interstate 80 was closed at coalfax. the result a long line of cars packed the parking lots. >> about 5:00 i spent a couple of hours and turned around and went back. >> reporter: stephanie has spent hours waiting in her suv watching dvd. >> we got a couple of bottles of wine in auburn. >> reporter: she and other drivers lined up expecting the interstate to open soon. >> just started about 15 minutes ago, i'm going to wait to see if they open it up at noon. >> reporter: caltrans said noon would be the time. that changed. still looking like noon? no, 3:00. good luck sir. >> reporter: so much snow fell it simply took time to clear the road. some people decided to call it quits. >> we had to turn all the way back around. >> reporter: others were determined to make it over the summit. >> the snow is epic up there so it's worth the wait, right? >>> well, a technical problem off the sp

certainly around blue canyon. high surf warning in effect at midnight.e will be paying attention to the coast. the waves will be expected to get to the amount of 21 ft. over night. even minor coastal flooding. wet weather continues for the weekend. >>catherine: jonathan is live at ocean beach. >> catherine, the story is no longer the rain it is the wind and the surf. you can see these people are getting out of their cars to take a look it these unusually large waves at ocean beach. let me focus anandthey are huge. and they're coming in quickly. there is a man over here that is not quite brave enough but his dog is. he is throwing things and the stock is venturing a boat into the surf to get those things that he is throwing veteran out--that dog. it is not unusual that you see this much certainly, i would not want to be out on that water. look at it that when the sailor. and back to you. >>catherine: we're on the phone with tony frisco. >> caller: pounding is a perfect contrast and we are getting pounded. >>catherine: road closures? >> caller: interstate

blue canyon. we are here at 5,000 feet where it continues to come down. the snow continuing taphole. as you pointed out chain control still mandatory on all the major mountain highways. the highway is open. snowplow coming down behind us. i know a lot of bay area folks were stranded here yesterday. a lot of them decided to call it a day and spend the day in truckee. the roads are snowy and clear. the problem is the other drivers and spinouts. get out now while you can. it's a light snow. a good time to hit the road. you checked in with us an hour ago we were digging. the blue canyon newsroom as we have labeled my fort. we have a stairway going into it. this is my home away from home. and believe it or not you guys these christmas lights i put these -- i have never taken them down. they are out here 24/7, 365 days a year. >> you are incredible. >> be careful under that mountain of snow. >>> time is 6:28. a geologist known for predicting earthquakes has a caution for the western u.s.. the reason he says a big one could be just around the corner. >>> and how

brian hickey joins us live with more from blue canyon. good morning. >> reporter: doesn't this look nice. >> snow better than the rain. >> reporter: i wish it would turn back to snow. it was snowing but right now we have a rain/snow mix. nothing says come and visit like a rain/snow mix. add to that wind blowing it around and yeah, not the most pleasant play. go up the road a couple of miles and it turns to solid snow. it is dumping up here in the sierra. it has all night. i was looking at some of the web cameras, sugar bowl, their picnic tables, 2 1/2 to 3 feet of snow piled up. i checked the camera last night and there wasn't much on the table. now this morning they are piled high. so significant snow in the sierra. it's a heavier wet snow. boy, did it come down. it continues to come down, just not here at blue canyon where it continues to rain. on 880 there was -- well, you know, i was going to ski. what am i doing with this stuff. i'm going to be an icicle. i might try tomorrow. >> that would be a good live shot. brian hickey joins us

at blue canyon, this is ktvu, channel 2 news. [ music ] >> talked about it last night. this morning's commute a mess. tomorrow morning's commute going to be worse. here is the rain right now in hayward and fremont. and not a big deal. the story will be tomorrow morning here is the latest computer model. at 6 a.m. the front is just getting here. the winds are just kicking up. the rainfall rates are heavy, especially in the north bay. starting to rain pretty strong right along the peninsula right right in the heart of the commute at 7 a.m. it's going off wet and windy. wind advisories on the bridge. urban and small flood extreme advise stream advisory in effect. we move into 8:00 it intensifies. here is what i am thinking. if you can commute and take bart or go in a little bit later you may want to avoid these hours between 6, 7 and 8:00. here at 9:00 and it still goes. tapers off. into the afternoon it is all good. but that chunk in the morning is going to be nasty. when i come back at 10:45 i will have the complete long range forecast. it does show some more rain out th

five to ten inches of snow at the 7,000 if the level, and right enough it's raining at blue canyon so the snow levels well be coming down. lows tonight in the 40s across the region, and highs tomorrow much lime take. 59 for san jose, 55 for pacifica. redwood city tomorrow, 59. san francisco, may see a little sunshine. 57. a chance of shower in the north bay. east bay, oakland, 59. 59 for fremont. interior east bay, maybe some drizzle tomorrow morning and partial afternoon clearing. a 59 for con cord. danville, 58. the northwest winds are going to pick up near the coast. accuweather seven-day forecast. chance of showers tuesday, wednesday looks terrific. temperatures near 70 degrees. and then we'll keep a chance thursday, friday, north bay, and remember,. next weekend, we return to daylight saving time. so it's time too spring forward. >> alan: rick is in for shu today. last time we talked? the warriors were in overtime. rick: final seconds of overtime. not the ending we wanted. the warriors continue their seven-game road trip in philadelphia. they need overtime to decide the contest.

ken pritchett made it to blue canyon and shows us the treacherous conditions on the road. >> reporter: this one shot tells the story. a semi truck had just exited interstate 80, his trailer twisted and he was stopped. it took several tries to dislodge him. the truck drivers were not alone. >> we will turn you around. >> reporter: the driver of this mercedes plowed into a snow bank, losing control on a downhill slope. >> i think he might have been going a little fast. >> reporter: there have been many spinouts accidents but that is not on. >> we had reports of a snow slide onto the freeway and hit a car up by cisco grove. >> reporter: heavy snow and strong winds caused blowing snow to the race visibility at times -- to erase visibility at times. it was a low snow, at around 2500 feet. this man is driving up and expects a long day. >> probably up to four or five hours at least. >> reporter: that is if the he made it before the interstate was closed. interstate 80 was shut down and remains closed. it is covered in snow with whiteout conditions. ken pritchett, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> it

this is what it looked like before dawn along interstate 80 at blue canyon in placer county. the forecast calls for as much as a foot of new snow and the higher elevations with more on the way tomorrow. chain requirements are posted on all of the mountain highways. >>> the prosecution was scheduled to continue presenting witnesses this morning in the trial of the man accused of the murder of -- murder in the death of oakland journalist chauncey bailey. yusef bey and antwan mackey are accused of plotting the killing of bailey because of his reporting on the business, your black muslim bakery. it's possible the man who says bey ordered him to shoot bailey will take the stand tomorrow. >>> today is the second day of witness testimony in the barry bonds's perjury trial. the prosecution is hoping to make a big impression on the jury. tara moriarty has more. >> reporter: well, jurors have just returned to the courthouse after a 45-minute lunch break. the most live eting testimony we heard -- live oting testimony we -- live eting testimony was about how bonds's hands grew. the feder

and there is an idea of how much snow received in blue canyon there are 61 inches last week, and today, they have 124 inches more than double. >> that is unbelievable, thank you very much. >> and viewers sent us plenty of photos and video. this is heavy rainfalling into pinole valley. and there is a is a if you have videos or photos to share e mail them to us. >> just ahead a flash flood warning just issued for part of san mateo county. >> moving on beyond weather today. barry bonds trial turns into a medical lesson today. just ahead what a top scientist told the jury. the news continues in one [ female announcer ] the jcpenney big one day sale is saturday! don't miss amazing 4-hour steals. like worthington separates -- 50% off. and stylish dress shirts or ties, just $19.99. find okie dokie for every cutie -- $4.99! and bright sheets, only $19.99. plus, with jcp cash, earn $10 off unlike other stores we don't make you come back to save! we make spring bright -- you make it bloom. go to jcp.com to see everything on sale. we make it affordable. you make it yours. jcpenney. >> closed capt

. >> wow, that is natasha stenbock up in blue canyon. we thank her and chance of bad weather forcing britney spears to move that big concert here in san francisco indoors. >> get this, tickets are already gone. it was a free sunday concert. it's going to be at the bill graham civic auditorium instead of the castro. those free tickets available online this morning. and they sold out in a matter of hours. we spotted some on ebay going for a couple hundred dollars. the showing being taped for a network morning show to promote her new album. >> britney not a big fan of the rain. put to me that club, two. is there a glimmer of hope next week? >> gosh, you would have frozen to death. it would have been very cold outside. there is a glimmer of sunshine in the forecast. what a storm around the bay area today as it continues to roll on through. this looking right outside the window, the heavy rainfall continuing to come down outside. and more of that on the way. and looks like it will continue to thump into the afternoon although becoming more sc

we've got heavy snow in the mountains, chains are required, blue canyon, central truckee and slow traffic and screening trucks. checking mass transit it's all on time, bart, muni and tolls, it's clear at the bay bridge. >>> sue, thank you very much. >>> japanese officials are battling a new fire at the troubled nuclear plant 140 miles north of tokyo. workers that had tried to cool the reactors down had to leave because after surgery of radiation. the team of 180 workers had been rotating in and out of the danger zone to minimize their radiation exposure. the japanese emperor expressed his condolences and urge is his citizens not to give up. here is the latest. >> reporter: today more problems at the fukushima daiichi power plant and the last line of defense grew even thinner. >> the worst case scenario are starting to unfold. >> there was a second fire at the fourth unit smoke rose from the number three reactor. helicopters scooped up sea water but the plan was cracked when radiation spiked. at least for a while, the final 50 workers kept on to help prevent a nuclear meltdown. >> the radi

i had to dig out the blue canyon newsroom.orm piled up the snow, but my little shelter of sticks down here has survived yet another one from mother nature. and if i have told you before, these christmas lights, i put these up three winters ago. i have never done anything to them and they keep on ticking. i'll send them back to you. >> that's a man cave. that is a man cave. >> a reinforced man cave, we hope. >> thank you so much. >>> 6:40 right now. still to come on "today in the bay," an allied air strike took out a gadhafi compound in libya overnight. the latest in a live report from washington. >>> and hybrids are flying off the lots acr t sewhcountry. see why it is not just the gas prices putting the cars in high demand. it's a symphony best appreciated... at full blast. the moment you've been waiting for has arrived. springs best event. from cadillac. with zero down, zero due and zero first month's payment on the exhilarating cadillac cts. but like the beauty of spring, it won't last long. >>> the u.s. and five other count

melissa cabral is live at blue canyon how was your drive up the mountain? >> not bad.ou have to chain up if you don't have four-wheel drive. we're at blue canyon and this is where we first started seeing snow. 3" of hour of snow is falling and it's windy. we dug out this spot to give you an idea of how much snow we have seen. it's probably about .25" or so. but lake tahoe ski resorts are very happy about all the snow that they have been seeing. as you can imagine, they are saying as much as 100" they have had over the last four days, the last storm that we had coming through last week. to give you an idea, here's a yardstick and 100 inches is similar to that. so double my size how much snow they have had. so if you are planning on skiing, plan a lot of extra time and bring your chains. but it could be some good times on slopes that's for sure. >> well, it looks like at least the road is open. i just saw one car go by. so they are clearing the roads, then? >> reporter: yeah. absolutely. if you want to come out, you can take a look. you can see they have not used a lot o

and the visibility and just to give you an idea of how much snow they have received up here at blue canyon the department of water resource monitors thing they had 61 inches last week. today they have 124 inches. more than double. this is 7 news. >> we want to share a couple more you report photo from today's storm with you. david sent this from antioch. he says a gust of wind tossed his glass top patio table 10 feet into the air shattering the glass top as you can see. and there's one numb photo. that tree crashes on to congress valley road in nap a.doug kerry sint in for us. keep those pictures coming at this site. >> quite a picture. we could see more of that. thankfully things have calmed down. >> at least for tonight. sandy has better look at the weather. >> l just some showers lingering as you look carefully here in the north bay we are seeing some rainfall right now. some of it picking up moderate intensity moving on to the marin county coast right now. we look did you know to the santa cruz mountains spotty showers as you see here most is light. mount hamilton snow. a lot of snow i

in the blue canyon area. which is just a couple thousand feet above us.his low, it was almost a month ago. so if you do plan to come up this direction, do carry chains and take it extra slow. in camino, natasha stenback cbs 5. >> are we complaining about the rain? >> not anymore. >> they have the snow up. there not so bad at all. but we have a lot of it out there, right? >> we sure do. more showers around the bay area. right now, and we've got storms literally liping up in the pacific. getting ready to move onshore. outside right now, ominous looking clouds from the mount vaca cam and showers showing up there, too. we have some sunny breaks in between the clouds. here is one of them. right over san francisco, and you're looking good. and you're thinking, hey, we will stay dry now but we do have showers showing up around the bay area and high dep doppler radar is picking up on some of that right now and most of it is focusing a little bit farther to the south. take a look at this as we head into redwood city, scattered showers there, pockets of most amount

rape by blue canyon they have a winter storm warning in effect they can get 9 in. of the system.ratures equal upper '40's, 50's san jose, 49 in santa rosa. here is a look at your 7 day around the bay. wet, dry, wet, dry all week long. the next rain passed thursday looks to be sunday morning through the day on sunday temperatures clearly mild. now, here is a look at the traffic. >> george: wind advisor is for number bridges no hot spots to try and get. that could change is the dumbarton bridge there was the most recently added named to the list out bridges under advisory not often we get a win did rise three for the done buttoto dumbn bridge. so far no backups and no metering lights. san mateo bridge when the advisory in a place here you can see the changeable message and activated the right-hand side still very light traffic now reconfigured for the ride. your ride to the golden gate bridge southbound is reconfigured. will? >> darya: i will take it, authorities now confirming the body pulled from the custocanal is the man who kidnapped juliani, they matched it to his arrest recor

ktvu's ken pritchett made it up 80 as far as blue canyon today where he found white out conditions. >> reporter: this one shot tells the story in the sierra today. a semi truck had just exited interstate 80 at nayak. his trailer twisted. but truck drivers were not alone. >> when i get you out we'll turn you around. >> reporter: the driver of this mercedes plowed into a snow bank. >> i think he might have been going a little fast. >> reporter: tim brown with the chp says there has been many spin out accidents and that's not all. >> a couple of hours ago we got reports of snow slide under the freeway. with the car went into a freeway and hit a car up by cisco grove. >>> heavy snow and strong winds caused flowing snow to erase visibility at times. >> chain controls were in effect this afternoon at the alta exhibit. it was a slow snow at about 2,500 feet. some drivers were turned around. tim tarruso is driving but expects a long day. >> probably close to four or five hours at least. >> reporter: that's if he made it before the interstate was closed. this is interstate 80 it's covered in s

ktvu's ken pritchett made it up 80 as far as blue canyon today where he found white out conditions. >> reporter: this one shot tells the story in the sierra today. a semi truck had just exited interstate 80 at nayak. his trailer twisted. but truck drivers were not alone. >> when i get you out we'll turn you around. >> reporter: the driver of this mercedes plowed into a snow bank. >> i think he might have been going a little fast. >> reporter: tim brown with the chp says there has been many spin out accidents and that's not all. >> a couple of hours ago we got reports of snow slide under the freeway. with the car went into a freeway and hit a car up by cisco grove. >>> heavy snow and strong winds caused flowing snow to erase visibility at times. >> chain controls were in effect this afternoon at the alta exhibit. it was a slow snow at about 2,500 feet. some drivers were turned around. tim tarruso is driving but expects a long day. >> probably close to four or five hours at least. >> reporter: that's if he made it before the interstate was closed. this is interstate 80 it's covered in s

at blue canyon, ken pritchett, ktvu news. >>> governor jerry brown is not saying if he plans to signll of standards in any state of the nation. we talked to the governor, it would give utilities less than two years to receive at least half of their power from wind, solar or other renewable resource. >>> san jose wants to keep dogs on a tight leash. the vote taken late this afternoon to keep them close at hand. julie haener is in the newsroom now to look at some of the other stories going on. >>> also at 6:00, roaches crawling around inside a woman's refrigerator. now a notorius landlord is facing serious penalties even jail time for letting things get out of hand. it is a story you will see only at 2:00. >>> also ahead. twitter can catch a tax break from moving to market street the demand community leaders now want to change. >>> and the san francisco eatery about to shut its doors. it's all coming up at 6:00. >>> visitors to yosemite is expected to close to traffic. the road closures and delays will allow crews to stabilize a rock slide area. the road should be finished within the a

at blue canyon. >>> and click on the storm watch tab for more information where you live. >>> and saving a strand of old growth red wood trees, the land near the canyon. the 426-acre area along the historic skunk train route. they raised 7 million to buy the land from the red wood company which was threatening to log the trees. >>> and an event that many say started the modern civil rights movement. the district teamed up with the alameda office of education to create the freedom bus to mark the anniversary of park's refusal to give up her seat on the bus. famous scenes are featured on the outside of the bus. and student artwork graces the inside. >> for every person hopefully in the district, they will get an opportunity to see this wonderful bus. >> ac transit plans to have the bus travel every route at least once. the bus will be in service this week. >>> and the arrest of a st. mary's college student, 22-year- old arrested for exposing himself to two five-year-old children at a 24-hour fitness club. he was arrested on two misdemeanor charges on wednesday. he was released on bail yest

we are going to check back in with you again at 6:20 to update our progress on the blue canyon news room. which is down here. >> happy digging. right now part of interstate 5 is closed from three miles north of highway 126 all the way to the currant county line. high wind advisory is also in effect from interstate 5 throughout fresno county. >>> the bad weather is continuing in southern california. a winter storm warning still in effect until this afternoon. the national weather service says more snow, strong winds and rain is expected for los angeles and santa barbara counties. also this morning the pacific coast highway in malibu has been reopened after rock slides closed that road and forced the evacuation of 12 homes. >>> a bay area man says he's ready to lead california republicans to victory. they elected tom dell becar row as be-- tom del beccaro. he says he's opposed to the election and instead wants to make other cuts. >> there is studies that show up to 25%over our social welfare programs are giving benefits to people ineligible. well, that is billions and billions of dollars a

this is video of blue canyon, portions of interstate 80 are closed because of almost no visibility. both link sacramento to lake tahoe. highway 50 is open but chains are required. more than 3 feet of new snow was reported just this morning in the sierra. >> now to the latest in libya the pentagon said the no fly zone is in place. a second night of fire observed was seen in tripoli. the pentagon said they have inflicted more damage on the air defense systems. the military said the strikes have been effective and the pentagon is waiting to see if the latest promise of a cease fire happens. gadhafi remains defiant. barbara hall. >> reporter: these dramatic images show the power of coalition air strikes. rebels seeks to overthrow say the target was a government convoy moving on their strong hold. the united states, britain, france and others started the operation, saying gadhafi wasn't honoring a mandated no fly zone. one witness said while the missile and bomb attack are intimidating. >> we are scared what's with the domestic reaction toward the strikes. >> reporter: fears perhaps not

there are reports of light snow at blue canyon so expect the chain patrols. a different cry from the last. much warmer in this one. back to you. >> that's what is so amazing, brian. the difference of a few days. the warmth of this storm compared to the last. thanks so much. >> it was hot out this morning. >> it wasn't hot. the feet warmer was too high. thought it was baking. >> never mind. >> christina, better take it away. >> i was enjoying that. i don't know why they came to me. good morning to you. we're looking pretty good. it is mild out there. we have the 50s and the upper 40s for temperatures. and we've got a lot of rain coming down, the cloud cover and this really warm system is keeping our temperatures up. and today we're going to see highs close to 60 degrees because we're starting out warm. let me show you what's happening. we're starting to see a good amount of clearing. the peninsula, the coast getting a bit of a break. this will be the case through the next few hours. the showers break up and become spotty. right now the south bay is seeing the

also san jose now getting a little light rain and the snow has turned moderate at blue canyon at 5,000 so although the storm system appears mild, but they're in low to mid-50s today. gets colder as it heads over the sierra. the next storm system coming in tonight through early tomorrow and then gusty winds. the storm track all the way back to the hawaiian islands. we're watching this cold system. you can see as this moves south and then east, that will lower snow levels down to about 3 to 4,000 feet and push most of the moisture down into southern california. drier conditions expected by monday. you can still see throughout the afternoon this green area indicating some light rain over most of the bay area, central valley and the western sierra still getting showers all the way through tomorrow morning but things clear up nicely, just in time for the commute, with the exception of the south bay. this system appears to be lifting off to the north but may still clip sonoma, napa and mendocino and lake counties. a couple inches of snow around the lake. a half foot of snow expected down to

and the visibility and just to give you an idea of how much snow they have received up here at blue canyonre the department of water resource monitors thing. they had 61 inches last week. today they have 124 inches. more than double. abc 7 news. >> about just spectacular pictures from tahoe. clear lake 48 hours ago. many homeowner there is are stocking up on sand bag as officials warn the lake may flood for the first time in 13 years. it is expected to reach flood stage at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. l already beginning to cause problems rain and run off has rey brought the water up the deck of homes at the shore line so folks there are a little worried about what is to come. let's talk about what is to come as spencer back with the full forecast. we need this very desperately. >> we do. this is news worthy weather though so turn atlanta but we need the rainfall. need the break that is coming up as well. we'll get it next week. right now still dealing with some showers. here's live view from the high definition sutro camera lacking out over san francisco. and it is dry in san francisco at the mom

reporter bryan live from blue canyon once again this morning. looks like it's coming down pretty good there, bryan. >> reporter: you know, pam, it's a good thing i already live in placer county. if i didn't i would be applying for residency. it continues to do this here in the sierra. today look at that nice light dry powder knee deep here at 5,000 feet. if you're planning to come into the mountains today let me take you out and show you what interstate 80 looks like. cal trans not really clearing the roads at this point. more like grooming the highway. there goes a four wheel drive. dry snow packed on to the roadway. it's not going anywhere any time soon. look off into the storm here and believe it or not this is just the beginning of this latest round of weather that is expected to bring high winds, hundred mile an hour gusts over the sierra crest with heavy snow through the day adding even more snow to this already on course to be a record setting snow pack. unbelievable what is going on in the sierra with some resorts reporting over 700 inch

a couple feet at blue canyon. the newest intermediate ski run. it's packed with snow from colfax to the nevada state line where it's snowing on the east side of the sierra. obviously, coming into the ski area today you can see the wind that's coming with this latest winter storm is pushing this around making for some difficult visibility for drivers. luckily, so far, no major problems on the roadway. a lot of people have heeded the warning to steer clear of the sierra from the latest storm that could bring five additional feet. it's already over 700 inches for a season total with 290 of that still on the ground in the ski area. it's no wonder people are coming out of the second story of their homes walking into snow. >> all right. thank you. >>> well, the rain, as steve has been mentioning, is picking up in the bay area. we'll continue our coverage. >>> and what san francisco and san jose need to do to become the wealthiest cities in the country. >>> who hit the high notes on "american idol" and the spooky reason the contestants have moved out of

it looks like just below blue canyon right pass cold front is where the rain turned to snow. bring your change you will need it. here's where we are for temperatures, mix of policies and 40's by this afternoon at 3:00 that becomes 50s and 60s. even then napa valley is warming up. here is a look at your 7 day around the bay. conditions will try is to go to the day to day. tomorrow looks great. saturday fantastic. bracing ourselves for another round of rain sunday. next week looks good. now, here is a look at the traffic. >> erica: good morning james, no hot spots throughout the bay area we do have one problem spot which i will get to and just a second first of look at the approach of the bay bridge great conditions a perch in san francisco traffic moving at the limit. pretty much the same story at the san mateo bridge westbound, east bound 92 in very good shape no problems getting to the bridge. drive time of just 13 minutes. coming at of marin county southbound 101 very light traffic out their top speeds under 22 minutes. another camera westbound- seat 0, looks great. no prob

brian hickey joins us from blue canyon now to show us what it look like up there. looks like a lot of snow. >> reporter: and it keeps coming down. 5,000 feet. we're not even up there yet. you will need those chains to get over the top of the mountains or through the ski areas. with the storms lined up and ready to come in and bury the sierra. you can see here at 5,000 feet. signs are getting buried. the snow markers are getting buried. get up to the summit. the snow depths are completely buried. some say they've received over 600 inches so far this season and coo start pushing 700 by the end of next weekend. , by the end of the season. it will be amazing snow totals. we could be skiing up there. i think the snowpack is gonna be around for quite sometime. as people here continue to dig out in a very snowy weather. back to you. >> it looks like a lot of fun skiing. thank you, brian hickey. >>> shocking numbers, the new estimate for the cost of the damage caused by the quake and tsunami in japan. what's being done in san francisco later today to help. >>> gina silva i

it's producing snow up at blue canyon, tahoe, truckee but the front has moved through us. we're turning more westerly winds. live stormtracker2 shows there's not much left. what's showing up and the observation that said rain was livermore. livermore airport and then stretching back to milpitas, san jose. again, there could be drizzle and light rain underneath that. we're about done with this. 2.60 for cazadero. petaluma, 1.03. napa, .88. sfo and redwood city, .25. sanjose only .13. ukiah, 49 degrees. one system moves out. what's happening now is the low is digging down. as it does, it's forcing this moisture that we had over us from the southwest for about the last two days, south-south. we'll get into a cooler pattern and lose that pattern. clouds, cool he, showers are still possible but things quiet down today into tomorrow. but then friday, maybe thursday night, rain returns and this will be a very cold system. still some light rain drizzle around. but it's about over with. we'll turn partly cloudy. windy up in the hills. i've seen gusts to 30 miles an hour up the coas

brian hickey is live with a look at the conditions, would you, from blue canyon. looks like a real blizzard behind you. >> it's actually very good right now. yesterday, it was a blizzard. it was whiteout conditions on interstate 880 and that's what closed the freeway. good news for those stuck at the north end of lake tahoele they decided to get home, decided to spend the night, yes. chain controls from gold run all the way over to the nevada state run. you can see here at this live picture, the road is snowy but pretty smooth and clear. we're seeing cars coming by with no trouble. you just have to have the complained a -- chains and snowshowers. you will be fine getting through the mountain. as long as you obey that 0-mile- per-hour speed limit. but there's no wind. just a nice, steady snowfall. some of the ski resorts are literally digging out. more snow is on the way this week. i hope they have their shovels and snow caps ready. sno-cats ready. it's not over yet. >> i'm just curious, with they hoping the ski resorts will stay open maybe longer than usual this y

just pass blue canyon. speaking of tahoe let's give you your ski report. www.snowbomb.com. 0 in., 12 lives opened, 72 runs. should roll not bad, 205, 10 lives, 95 runs. squaw valley 185, 23 liless. darya? >> darya: several school boards are considering layoffs jonathan bloom gives a solo. >> reporter: the school board voted 6-14 layoffs by the march 15th deadline. it has to do even though they do not know what the budget will look like even though these layoff notices are worst-case scenario. there will have to on may 15th to decide which will get laid off. voters could be choosing in june if they want to extend tax hikes. at the school district asking as teachers to come back. the ones getting notices are the most junior teachers. >> darya: we will be back with more in just a couple of minutes. a live look at that, san francisco, it is great, hazy, we will be back with more in a moment. >> darya: welcome back to the kron 4 news. 8:56 a.m. the dow is down, apple is up. we're just about an hour away from the big announcement san francisco thinks they will show the new ipad.

technology, the so-called blue dog technology, which integrates video and radar works is in the florida terrain. there will be need for it. where there is -- where there are canyons and mountains, that technology is not very useful. the secretary has directed that we fill in the gaps in those areas with mobile surveillance systems, remote video surveillance systems, and our agents confirm that this is the best technique. together with aviation, i.s.r., the ability to integrate from surveillance from air, aviation platforms. the reason, frankly, for the delay, and i believe we start purchasing in 2012 and continue to purchase in 2012 and 2013, is that we need to fill in the gaps. we have in arizona which is our area of greatest priority on the border, we have the towers in place on the flat areas. we need to fill them in with the technology better suited for the canyons and mountains. but you're right. we want more of those towers to use in our places where the terrain makes them very useful. the priority is one reason there is a delay until 2012. the second is to simply get the competitive bidding that will be required to give companies other than boeing an oppor