eastbound 80 going to tahoe also closed near colfax. in regards to the accident now says it happened about 1:30 this afternoon. reports have as many as 45 cars being involved in this pileup. chains are required on 80 and 50. and traffic is a slow crawl if it's moving at all. nbc bay area's aaron douglas is on his way ba,cktu s in traffic for nine hours. aaron, hello. when did you leave and how far did you get? >> we left at around 2:00 and we got all the way up to colfax. they stopped traffic -- they closed the freeway down at applegate. we were in traffic before applegate for about two hours, bumper-to-bumper traffic. >> right now as you mentioned, yes, the freeway is closed. as you were approaching colfax, though, were you crawling at all in terms of in your car or was it a standstill? >> mainly standstill. they closed the freeway down. so everybody was trying to get off the exit at applegate. then we took the back roads to get to colfax. >> we're seeing remarkable footage of the traffic where you are. where exactly are you now? >> we

our snowman reporter brian joining us live in colfax. i don't know how you do it with all the snow out there. >> reporter: e, man, we didn't have to go -- oh, man, we didn't have to go far to find the snow. a little bit of snow continues to fall here. and interstate 80 is still closed this morning. they shut it down yesterday afternoon. and many drivers have spent all afternoon, all night and now this morning right here, camped in front of gas stations in colfax hoping that the road will re-open. unfortunately for them, caltrans and chp telling us it will likely not before before noon when the road will reopen. the primary concern avalanche danger and the sheer amount of snow that they need to remove from the roadway, that's why you have the extended closier. and for everyone camped out here, just another long wait. one guy was hoping to get to nevada, but instead, spent his birthday in colfax. >> this was it. in this area. my whole birthday. but hey, it was an experience. one birthday i won't forget. >> unfortunately, i planned to be in

snowing here in colfax and all the cars are lined up. as soon as we hear anything we'll pass it on to you. we'll go to interstate 80 right now, you can see a caravan of plows making their way down the mountain. that's a good sign as they continue to work the lower part of the mountain. it's the upper part near kingvale where they have to run the heavy-duty graters before the plows can go up to reopen the road. back to you guys. >> brian, i know that's often a problem in the high country when you get that much snow that sometimes even though they have the equipment, there's nowhere to put the snow anymore. that becomes an issue. >> reporter: if you have been over 80 in the last week, the snow banks in some cases are 1546, 15-plus feet tall. they have to get the massive snow blowers to blow it up over the bank. that's a great point. talking to one of the caltrans workers, when they came down yesterday to set up the road closure, the snow has drifted from the snow bank, from the top of the snow banks all the way down to the center of the ro

look at all the cars in colfax.is on every side street where people have been camped out, in some cases, since 4:00 yesterday. here's a look at kingvale. it is very snowy up there. what we are hearing from caltrans is they are estimated a 12:00 noon opening on the road because the snow is so deep they can't run the plows through it. they have to run graters through first. then they can run the plows through to get the snow off the road. they have a lot of cleanup to do after shutting the road down with all of the snow that came down and then, of course, the#-0 >>> almost 40 miles are now cut off near king city and cambria because of mudslides. the slides added to the damage that was done earlier in the week. we already told you about this, a part of highway 1 in the same area collapsed. a look at the guardrail and some of the cleanup there, but now they have more in a larger section. no word on when that will reopen. >>> this morning people in lake county are gearing up for flooding as the waters of clear lake overf

>> reporter: westbound interstate 80 was closed at colfax, the result? a long line of cars and trucked packed in the parking lot and a lot of waiting. >> needed to get up to colfax, about five hours we were up there. and then turned around, went back. >> reporter: one woman spent hours waiting in her suv, watching dvds. >> and we stopped in auburn. >> reporter: she and other drivers lined up, expecting the interstate to open soon. caltrans said noon would be the time. >> still looking like new? well, 3:00 -- >> reporter: 3:00, and here is part of the reason why. so much snow fell it simply took fine to clear the road. and there were snow slides closer to the summit. some people called it quits. >> we're turning around. >> reporter: others were determined to make it over the summit. >> the snow is wonderful up there, so it is worth the wait, right? >> reporter: well what you see are cars right now driving westbound on interstate 80 in the direction of the bay area. what you don't see you trucks. because trucks at this time around 6:00 in the evening are n

interstate 80 is close right now from colfax to the state line. highway 4 is shut down, and chains required in other portions of it. ace train no service this morning cancelled because of mud and debris on the tracks. >> darya: continuing coverage of the weather now. yoli is live in san anselmo where they saw some flooding yesterday. >> reporter: it looks like they are in the recovery stages. driving up here is awesome utility trucks trying to repair some wires. for the most part things look fairly clean up. you still see the sand bags and that stuff but i really wanted to show the creek that runs through here. people were very worried. you can see how far away the water line is from the bridge. that is probably a sigh of relief for lot of people. we have a good clearance maybe 8 ft.. it really is an important day to catch up before the next door. >> darya: is it raining or anything right now? >> reporter: it is spotty. i can see stars and then there rain cloud comes by. and then it just passes the sum of bad right now. >> darya: 8 you yoli. >> re

colfax to the nevada state line is shut down. also going to need train restrictions for 50 due to white-out conditions so plan ahead for that. when you hop in your car, remember kcbs, our radio partners, at 740-am and 106.9- fm. back to you. >> thank you. >>> 4:55 your time. a decision expected today in a groundbreaking child custody battle. mother abbey dorn is paralyzed and can't speak. she lives with her parents in south carolina. the parents are suing to have the triplets visit three times a year with the southern california where they live with the fare dan -- >> it's critical for the children not for abbey, but for the children to have a relationship with their mother irrespective of her medical condition. >> dan believes that the children should deal with the reality of their mother's situation. >> the father's lawyer argues that any visits with the mother should be under the father's supervision and on his terms. >>> tonight, broadway will honor elizabeth taylor by dimming the lights. ofshe was buried yesterday in a priva

we go to colfax. >> reporter: we're in colfax. this is where anyone heading into the sierras are being told to turn around. they are hoping that the road would reopen. instead, they spent paul afternoon here. -- all afternoon here. now this morning, we're being told by chp and caltrans, that it probably won't be open until noon. let's take a look at king vale. they had avalanches that have slid down to interstate 280. they had visibility problems for the plows. things seem to be clearing up. their estimate on when they who reopen 80 is noon today. that is leaving a lot of the drivers wondering would it be better to go to highway 50, a three-our trip or do you sit here and wait the four to five hours hoping that it opens before noon. i hope i had an answer. that is the frustration that a lot of drivers are dealing with. live in colfax, reporting. >>> the big storm was an unwelcome deja vu for many people in the peninsula. >>> there's a new damage estimate out from hawaii about the recent tsunami. find out how much it could cost the

it is very warm here in colfax and it's raining. the concern all of the snow that fell out of the last storm, well, it's starting to get saturated with rain and slush. there is a minor concern over small stream flooding in the foothills with the rain falling on the snow. here is a look at the conditions overnight. you can see some rain coming down from nevada city, all of that accumulating in this snow pack. people would like to get rid of the snow. they don't want flooding issues. but this snow has caused a number of problems with power outages that you heard about, more than 10,000 customers without electricity. as of yesterday pg&e saying only about 100 without power. they were keeping an eye on this storm, though, figuring that the rain coupled with wind might bring a new round ever issues. so far just rain. the wind hasn't been too severe. so far no major problems and in fact, on interstate 80, really only about a 10 to 15 mile stretch where they are chained up at the highest elevations. again, give you an idea how warm this st

live in colfax, pretty low snow levels there. >> reporter: that is right. this is actually the end of the line. interstate 80 we're showing you this is where caltrans is stopping traffic. they turning folks around. we have an update. there was hope to get this road open back by noon. they tell me they are shooting for 3:00 this afternoon. here is what it looks like lower at applegate. this is where the trucks are being stopped. you can see they are lined up along the freeway. folks that have been out for hours, mostly since last night. they are wanting to in position as soon as the road does open. now it looks like 3:00 perhaps at the earliest. here is what some of the folks had to say, they are staying the night in auburn. >> we spent the night in our truck here. >> how was that? >> cold. >> what kind of winter, constant delays? >> it's been a long winter. >> it's been terrible, miserable cold, dealing with the chains, but by the same token it's been exciting. >> and folks here it's been exciting. these are all the cars that are lined up here off the under

live in colfax, pretty low snow levels there. >> reporter: that is right. this is actually the end of the line. interstate 80 we're showing you this is where caltrans is stopping traffic. they turning folks around. we have an update. there was hope to get this road open back by noon. they tell me they are shooting for 3:00 this afternoon. here is what it looks like lower at applegate. this is where the trucks are being stopped. you can see they are lined up along the freeway. folks that have been out for hours, mostly since last night. they are wanting to in position as soon as the road does open. now it looks like 3:00 perhaps at the earliest. here is what some of the folks had to say, they are staying the night in auburn. >> we spent the night in our truck here. >> how was that? >> cold. >> what kind of winter, constant delays? >> it's been a long winter. >> it's been terrible, miserable cold, dealing with the chains, but by the same token it's been exciting. >> and folks here it's been exciting. these are all the cars that are lined up here off the under

drivers must use chains along interstate 80 from colfax to the trucky area. highway 50 to south lake tahoe remains open. chains are required from four miles east of placerville to myers. they have spent hours plowing and clearing snow from i-80 and the sierra. zero visibility forced them to shut down the highway on thursday and some parts of the crucial link state closed until late yesterday afternoon. many skiers and snow borders waited in colfax for the interstate to reopen so they can resume their journey to the slopes. >> waiting in your car for a couple of hours, might as well get some turns in. >> i've been here since 2:30 yesterday. >> why? >> waited, the skiing is awesome. i'm going to wait as long as i can because it's going to be really incredible tomorrow. >> those skiers are dedicated. resort workers spent yesterday trying to get the slopes ready for this weekend. they faced a huge task clearing the parking lot and removing tons of snow from the ski lodge. we'd like to see your weather picture. you can upload your photos and videos to you report.a

three clock is where drivers were stopped in colfax and cared packed the interstate as people waited. >> we knew it was closed we just decided to take our chance. >> they said it was going to open at 12:00. >> reporter: a few vehicles were allowed to pass, as were we. 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 th

it was closed in both directions from colfax to truce key last night after eight feet of snow fell on the freeway. squaw valley says so far this season, it has had 50 feet of snow. only the third time since 1970 that the resort has had that much. >>> and the rain is not done with us yet, dana. >> after a high today of 54, the 61 in half-moon bay, people were out and about without the umbrella. wait. we have more rain, it's picking up pleasantty rain showers right now. but i want to share with you this blob right here. it's the precipitation, working it way toward berkeley. as i back off, you can take a look at the north bay. this is a leading edge of the next storm that is headed our way. that will bring us moderate to heavy precipitation. that on top of the 18 inches oaf rain that has accumulated. in mill valley, coupe phi know with 14 inches. and it has rained 20 days out of 25 in the month of march. 9 1/2 inches of rain. we'll pinpoint the areas that have two inches away. thanks, roberta. >>> japan's nuclear crisis has taken a turn for the worse. there's likely a breech in the plan

it is open this morning, but chains are required east of colfax toward tahoe's southshore, chains required on east u.s. highway 50, just east of placerville. >>> and here in the bay area, we just got word that highway 84 is completely closed right now between skyline boulevard and portolo road. this problem, we talked about this last weekend in san mateo county. landslides, fallen trees blocking the roadway. no word on when that might reopen. again, highway 84 in san mateo county, closed. >>> some encouraging signs this morning about the unemployment numbers in california. 100,000 people got new jobs last month, so the state's unemployment dropped slightly to 12.2%. still, quite a bit higher, of course, than the national unemployment rate. jobless rates in several bay area counties also dropped, including mirren, san francisco, and solano counties. in the silicon valley, the number of jobs has risen by 2% over the past year to 862,000. >>> when you think of fashion, those bizarre outfits in paris may came to mind, but what about danville? it's ranked number one in the nation in one specifi

right now 80 is closed from colfax to the nevada state line. highway 50 is also shut down from twin bridges to myers because of whiteout conditions. no word right now on how long the closiers will be in effect. >>> the snow created treacherous driving conditions yesterday. take a look at this. our cameras captured a stranded big rig along 80. and we saw drivers losing control, plowing into snow banks. chp tells us they have reports of snow sliding right onto the freeway and hitting a car. >>> one person is in custody after running from police in berkeley. it started early this morning when police tried to arrest someone in a vehicle near an apartment building at stewart and sacramento. but the person drove off, nearly hitting several police officers. and then running into an apartment building and knocking down part of a staircase. the person then kept going and ended up in the backyard of a home near california. police were able to catch up with the suspect and no shots were fired. >>> oakland police need your help to find a man wanted for fel

we're looking at i-80, east of king veil, eastbound 80 is closed from applegate to colfax. look at the pictures here, whiteout conditions, zero visibility. just north of auburn here, it's closed eastbound 80, westbound 80 is closed from the state line to alta. there are chain controls on 80 and 50, and it's a slow ride. this is not just a cute weather story here. the heavy snow causing problems for building and propane tanks. >> reporter: it's one thing to witness this heavy pounding snow and wind from outside the car. >> it's getting worse. >> it's not letting up. >> reporter: it's another to see it from inside. i shot this video while riding in the car. watch how quickly the winds blow snow and create a truly blinding situation for drivers. everything outside the windshield is a sheet of white. >> these conditions have led to jackknifed big rigs stuck, crunched and battered cars along i-80. even a small avalanche. i am standing on i-80 westbound. check this out, this is is the number two lane of i-80. a snow slide making snow hip deep, blocking the number two lane. >> how

this is truck tee tonight. 80 is shut down from colfax to the nevada state line because of zero visibilitility. highway 50 is open as you can see but chains are required. more from the sierra from laura anthony. >> we are looking at condition red. >>reporter: what does that mean. >> that means we are swamped tonight. it is going to dump and dump and dump. >>reporter: those with run plow in the high sierra they have run out of flies put all the snow. most anyone seen here in 40 years. >> we have nowhere to throw it neither does the county. so it's a little cat mouse game we throw the snow out of the driveway goes in the street then we have to move it twice and now the county doesn't know what they are going to do with their snow. >>reporter: latest on slot even too much for placer county big plow. drivers are having hard time seeing what is underneath walls of snow approaching 20 feet in someplaces. >> everywhere you look there's no room to drive. >> no place to put the snow either. >>reporter: what do you do with it. >> trying to blow it as far as they can. get it where they can. >>report

interstate 80 you will need them between colfax and truckee. >> darya: stormy weather expected to continue through the bay area, it has forced britney spears outdoor concert inside. the concert was going to be at the castro theater on sunday, now all will be at the bill graham civic auditorium. >> we were going to open early, getting our team going, going strong. we are definitely disappointed, we wanted to see a great show, also because bridge a coming to the castro is bigger than the show. exposure to the neighborhood and they came back up. >> darya: you have to have a ticket it begins at noon, the appearance kicks off a publicity tour which is called samp the tel. >> mark: a setback of federal appeals reports court refuses the mayor just to take place and will it decides the constitutionality. lawyers argue gays and lesbians are being hurt if the ban stays in effect. they sought to lift the ruling after supreme court said it would take until the end of the year to consider legal question us by the appeals court. >> darya: to fewer people applied for unemployment last week. evidence layo

. >> reporter: before the reopening, dozens of drivers camped out in their cars off the exit at colfax, some had waited all night. others headed here even after they knew the road was closed. and why did you decide that you wanted to deal with it? >> it's beautiful. why not? we'll get there eventually. >> reporter: at sysco drove, union pacific railroad crews unloaded equipment to try to rescue a snowbound train and workers used shovels to remove 8 feet of fresh snow from the top of this gas station roof. they said this is the second time this season they've had to do this. >> when it gets too heavy, you risk the roof collapsing in, so you've got to get up here and shoveling it off. >> reporter: how close is it collapsing as we're standing on it? >> you know, i don't know, but i wouldn't want to be here when it does, though. >> reporter: and that is when that interview quickly came to an end. now, even though interstate 80 is open to cars, it's still closed to big rigs tonight and will be at least for a few more hours. caltrans says the path that it has cut through is just too narrow f

to do with the traffic and additional the snow and th >> before the opening, dozens we did there colfax. >> i was idling about her and i was practically sting all night. >> frustrating to wait this long. >> they tried to get to the mountain with thwithout the use of interstate-80. >> one of my going to do? i will have to make lemonade out of lemons. >> isabel: to check out the latest on that. www.kron4.com >> marty: the latest and libya. forces are making progress. and what the latest with the u.s. president has to say about the u.s. involvement. >> isabel: not much traffic out there is continuing to be wet. (music) [ coach ] in albuquerque, citi pre-approved my mortgage. [ whistle blows ] all right, layups, guys. let's go. in sioux falls, i locked in a rate. coach, you get that house yet? working on it. [ coach ] the appraisal? ...springfield. wherever i was, my citi mortgage consultant had me covered. [ crowd cheering ] and 500 miles from home... [ cheering, cellphone beeps ] ...we finally had a new home. [ male announcer ] from pre-approval to closing, citi is with you every step of

live in colfax the latest on the snow condition is tom. tom? >> reporter: well, the weather has eased up and the traffic very light tonight. for the motorists who are managing to get their way slowly up the hill at 25-30 miles per hour, they are finding kind of an amazing sight. i-80 was opened and plowed today for people like john olson. but his two and a half story vacation home is buried. he can't get to it. >> it is maybe eight, ten feet deep in front of the house. so i am not sure how i am going to get in there. >> reporter: a local snow blower was trying to get in. >> i don't normally how but i know how to. these folks were stuck out of their driveway so i helped them. >> reporter: at 6,000 to 8,000 feet cars drive on snow canyons. and snow is up to the power poles. one of the places they are keeping an access to for obvious reasons is the post office at soda springs. not an easy task with 10 feet of snow on the ground. >> they know where the snow is at. either they smell the hot dogs or chilly and they know where we are at. >> reporter:

at colfax cars were sitting most of the day, waiting for interstate 80 to reopen. a few people slept in cars. some grew frustrated. others tried to just make the best of the situation. >> i cancelled last year, he got disappointed. i told him you're going to snow board. if roads are closed! >> you wait in the car a couple hours might as well get turns in. >> for many, the delays are a minor inconvenience. knowing there is a big white payoff at the top of the hill. >> this morning, my brother picked me up and you never know. i'm keeping the pace. >> it's unlikely that guy made it sking this afternoon. lots of snow up here. and they're trying to consider whether they might extend the season. i talked with them today. with all of the snow they're thinking now about extending their season beyond april 10th. they feel noks haven't had a chance to enjoy the snow. the road i've been communicating with heather coming up with her family. she was sitting still so you can see traffic coming, moving through here, they're stopping cars at different places and just letting a few

for five days snow covered the rails between colfax and truckee.is until this steam powered rotary snowplow went to work and cleared the snow and re-opened the tracks for limited use yesterday. the plow has been around since the 1950s but the snow hasn't been deep enough to use it for the passed 13 years. [ music ] >>> and we are getting a break from the rain. if you can remember back a week ago, we were dealing with flood advisories, winter storm warnings. just less than a week ago. here we are with record high temperatures today. current temperatures outside are what the daytime highs, wouldn't they, even for the spring months. but these are right now current temperatures. the san raphael numbers have been inflated. a bad reading from that site over at the civic center there. the forecast tonight, no fog in the forecast. winds are turning offshore. that is what's allowing things to stay warm right now. that will allow the temperatures to increase more tomorrow. what is happening is the air is sinking. kind of an offshore flow event basically. as

colfax closed to the nevada state line because of whiteout conditions. highway 50 is back open, but chains are required. the heavy snow created some tough driving conditions yesterday. our cameras captured this stranded big rig along interstate 80. and drivers losing control. i have seen that before. chp tells us they have reports of snow sliding onto the freeway and hitting another car. the amount of snow is just amazing that's up there. in fact, above 7,000 feet. 10 to 20 feet on some of these ridges. just incredible snow. once everything calms down, it will be awe many. >>> -- it will be awesome. >>> all the work trying to cool that overheated nuclear power plant was suspended today after safety officials say they think the reactor core at one unit may have been breached. that's raising the possibility of more radioactive contamination. >>> well, hundreds of u.s. military family members are arriving daily here in the bay area from japan. mostly women and children who say the decision to leave was difficult. many of them leaving husbands and fathers be

>> they have the caltrans warning signs but sacramento just past auburn, colfax, applebait and up the hill. if you are heading this way beware you may want to stay for the night and check caltrans website. >> awe very good. a 30 car accident there. and chp closed down 80 as you approach the sierra, nevadas. we are following the wicked weather here on nbc bay area.com. still ahead, how the storm could affect our weekend plans whether you are in the bay area or if you are on the move. >>>. >> slow to respond. >> one week 'devastating earthquake and tsunami, japanese leader say they move toad slow to the crisis. sichbs then four of the six reactors have seen fires explosions or partial meltdowns and tonight the race to cool those reraerks rages on? tourists, residents and workers continue to stream out of tokyo's narita airport because of the radiation threat. low levels of radiation have been detected well beyond tokyo. hazardous radiation levels have been limited to the area surrounding the plant itself. >> many people across japan pause for a moment of silence to remember the victims

for five days snow covered the rails between colfax and truckee. that is until this steam powered rotary snowplow went to work and cleared the snow and re-opened the tracks for limited use yesterday. the plow has been around since the 1950s but the snow hasn't been deep enough to use it for the passed 13 years. [ music ] >>> and we are getting a break from the rain. if you can remember back a week ago, we were dealing with flood advisories, winter storm warnings. just less than a week ago. here we are with record high temperatures today. current temperatures outside are what the daytime highs, wouldn't they, even for the spring months. but these are right now current temperatures. the san raphael numbers have been inflated. a bad reading from that site over at the civic center there. the forecast tonight, no fog in the forecast. winds are turning offshore. that is what's allowing things to stay warm right now. that will allow the temperatures to increase more tomorrow. what is happening is the air is sinking. kind of an offshore flow event basicall

highway 80 is shut down from colfax to the nevada state line because of zero visibility.'t go anywhere in that. highway 50 is open as you can see. chains are required. more now from before laura. >> this is condition red. >> what does that mean. >> we'll be swamped tonight. this is going to dump and dump and dump. >> those with run plow in the high sierra they ran out of places to put all the snow. most anyone has seen in 40 years. >> we have nowhere to throw it neither does the county. so a little cbs atlanta news and mouse game we throw the snow out of the driveway goes in the street and then we have to move it twice. now the county doesn't know what they are going to do with their snow. >> latest on slights even too much for placer county big plow. drivers are having a hard time seeing what is underneath walls of snow that are approaching 20 feet in someplaces. >> everywhere you look there's no room to drive. >> no place to put the snow either. >> what do you do with it. >> trying blow it as far as they can. get it where they can. >>reporter: if chain control began at

chains are required from colfax to trucky.rightening experience for san jose woman when her sunroof suddenly shattered above her head while she was driving. just what caused that sunroof to shatter became a point of contention between her and the dealership. that's when 7 on your side's michael finney got involved. >> michelle park remembers what happened vividly that early saturday morning. she says she was driving northbound on highway 101 near sunnyvale and not under an overpass when she heard a loud bang. >> it's like a little mini explosion going off right above your head and you think, oh, my god. what just happened? >> the explosion left a huge hole in her sunroof. only the jagged edges remain. >> i looked around. i looked in my rearview mirror and saw that all my windows were intact. nothing it shattered. i pulled back the cover of my sunroof and shattered glass started falling on him. >> she brought her new car into stevens creek bmw in santa clara for inspection. the service manager wrote in this e-mail to bmw corpor

interstate 80 is closed all the way from colfax to the nevada state line because there is just zero visibilityroute 88 is closed east of dew drop because of all the snow. track the storm yourself at our website, cbssf.com. we have live doppler radio -- hi-def doppler radio right from your neighborhood. click on the weather page and check it out. >>> critics outraged at the new pg&e proposal to charge customers for opting out of the smartmeter program. the company submitted a plan to the california public utilities commission. pg&e would turn off the radio that transmit usage. in exchange, customers would pay $270 up front and then $14 a month. or $135 up front and $20 a month. some claim the radiowaves from the meters make them sick. >>> state regulators giving pg&e a chance to avoid millions in fines. it is all part of the fallout from last year's deadly pipeline explosion in san bruno. yesterday the state public utilities commission decided to fine pg&e $6 million. it's because the utility failed to provide documents that supposedly prove it has properly set the pressure levels on its gas tr

caltrans says 11 snow blowers are currently working i-80 from truckee to colfax to help keep the roads safe and clear for travelers. >>> well, that amount of snow dropped in the sierras, jaw-dropping, 600 inches, those numbers have been topping. >> but with all the snow comes the traffic nightmare. mike thatsel is knee-deep isn't the snow. >> we're standing in king vale, look at the amount of snow that's on the ground. what does that all mean for digging out? take a look. from small to medium to large, every size and every type of equipment is working nonstop to dig out the sierra right now. >> it's at the point now, our blowers aren't blowing over the top. to give you some perspective as to how much snow is on the ground, i'm standing in the driveway. that right there, that's the banister to the second story balcony. look at this! this is a home in serene lakes. the roof completely buried in snow. >> i'm over it. i'm over it. >> reporter: there is so much digging out to be done for this past winter storm system that caltrans had a fleet of 11 giant snow blowers working interstate 80 a

colfax, though, is closed on

>> reporter: you know, we picked up chain controls this morning at colfax and then went to gold run. so it is moving around, but once you get through chain controls, if you are prepared for it, caltrans has done a good job grooming the road. they are keeping the snow smooth, but there's a snow pack on the roads not beginning anywhere any time soon. the winds, that's the one thing caltrans can't control, and the wind could be a big factor today. >> play it safe no matter where you are. thank you, brian. >>> as you can see, a big wet system is rolling into the bay area to affect the morning commute. i want to go to christina loren who is tracking it for us. >>> good morning to you. we actually have winds at very different speeds all across the bay area depending on where you live and it could be a faint whisper of the wind or howling winds in places like fairfield with sustained speeds of 13 miles per hour. same in oakland, 20-mile-per-hour winds. this is just an indication of what's happening right now. we have an unstable air mass pushing in. low pressure system ahead of the front, t

here's live look at 80 near colfax. chains required on 80, 50 and 88. closer to home, we are looking pretty good across the bay area as far as the start to our thursday morning commute. here's live look at conditions across the san mateo bridge. yesterday caltrans warned of high winds, slick conditions. not the case this morning. so far, so good across the span. and your drive out towards silicon valley problem-free here as well in those westbound lanes of 237 heading towards san jose. i promise you a mass transit check and everything is delay- free. no delay on bart, ace, muni and caltrain. back to you. >> thank you. >>> libya in revolt. why three marines are being held captive this morning. >> plus, lies, drugs and the san francisco police. the serious claims against several officers. >>> and don't look now, but your electric bill just got higher. the questions about how a new surcharge is being used. the ,, ,, the next, you start one feeling a bit off.ne. the moment you feel run down or achy, nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. ge

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 their l.a. mansion. >>> some big news came down. toyota's manufacturing arm is planning for a shut do

after the recent dumping of snow forced the closure of interstate 80 for more than a day between colfax and the nevada state line. drivers had to make a decision, turn around and going back to the bay area or sit and wait. >> the snow is worth the wait. >> interstate finally did open last night, but more snow is forecast throughout today. highway patrol is reminding everyone the weather can change very quickly so they should be prepared with flood, water and blankets in case of those road closures. and here's a live look at interstate 80 at truckee right now. traffic is slowly moving from both directions. caltrans says chains are required on both 80 and 50. >>> good morning to you. it is coming down, giving you a live look at san jose this morning. gray skies, light to moderate rain falling. san jose breezy at times. winds about 15 miles per hour. look, pretty widespread. notice here at the top, we are beginning to see it drop off as this storm progresses to the east. we're seeing some moderate rain in and around danville this morning. flies over into fremont, perhaps seeing some rain,

i-80 is closed because of zero visibility all the way from colfax to the nevada state line.ahoe, chains are required on 50 east of placerville. >>> the final numbers are out for teachers who may lose their jobs in san mateo county. about 330 employees received notices warning them about their job status next year. the number of actually aoffs will depend on whether there is a special election in june and whether voters approve a tax extension. >>> traffic and weather around the bay area in just a moment. stay with us. switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. >>> good morning. the commute has quieted down. not as bad as a few minutes ago, southbound 13 at broadway terrace, this accident is blocking lanes. looks like traffic is actually only slow on 24 as you work your way towards the maze. stalled vehicle at the bay bridge near treasure island. south bay not too bad. friday light. northbound 280 good through downtown san jose no delays on 101. and if you are pla

there is a live look at interstate 80 near colfax. that's your traffic.cast, here's lawrence. >> we have clouds around the skies right now but just a few showers showing up out there at this hour. looks like it's going to be more scattered on and off throughout the day today as we take new toward campbell, you can see a good shower making its way on through that area and towards los gatos but it's going to be on and off today especially through the morning hours, a few sunny breaks developing and we'll see more sunshine toward the afternoon. temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s. should be dry tomorrow. more rain expected though over the weekend. ,, ,, never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me and asking me how they could help. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... and receive $25

interstate 80 is closed from colfax tuesday line and it won't reopen for three hours.2 state y for eache closures. when they opened the need to chains. >> darya: drivers tried to get out of new york faced a huge obstacle. an overturned tractor trailer. traffic was a nightmare as you can only imagine a outbound lanes were closed as they took the driver to a hospital and clean the spirit >> reporter: a prison a home has been evacuated because of a wild fire appeare. school districts e closed today because it is a dangerous situation. authorities say fire has spread 7-8 mi. the winds are making things difficult. >> darya: we will be back with more. a programming note if you are hanging out saturday check out gary's special baseball by the bay. he will have a player interviews and look at spring training. that is tomorrow >> reporter: do you want to register for bay to breakers? will you can. registration is back open to accommodate more people. if you want to register go to a website, look for the link to the registration. the best news is we are the bay to breakers station we will have co

also seeing snow out near tahoe, interstate 80 between cisco and colfax.irements of looking to be activated. let's give the your scary abouc report. sure herbal. freebase, 9 lifts, 91 months. kirkwood to under 20 in. freebased, 72 runs. 9:50 a.m. >> mark: today for weekly meeting with the lawyer. >> darya: so will start to jury selection in barry bonds trial. i think what are the questions? >> these cases jury selection is everything. the defense why people who are sports fans to might side with him who loves this liberty of barry bonds. prosecution wants a fair and neutral people who have never heard of him will they be able to find our fair panel of jurors? in san francisco. in this circuit, this is where will be, that is something the prosecutors had to take into consideration when they charged this case. barry bonds as a hero here. the few court appearances he made there are hundreds of fans outside the court room cheering. >> darya: prosecutors are asking if your doctor fanned? >> third and asked about media coverage. what do you know about the case,

we are looking at this area near colfax, great skiing but you can't get there right now. >>> more localy" show returns in less than a minute. i never wear the same thing twice. not together, anyway. i'm in t.j.maxx every week. i used to think it was old school, but it's not. i get this season's designer clothes that i absolutely need... and i still get to eat. fashion direct from designers. savings direct to you. that's right. i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me and asking me how they could help. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. >>> we're back now at 8:0 >>> we're back now at 8:00 on this friday morning, the 25th day of march, 2011. take a look at the size of t