good thursday morning to you. if you use us as a wake-up call, you have 30 more minutes. we're on early this thursday morning. nbc bay area is issuing a micro climate weather alert. rain hitting the bay area. a live look at radar. the golden gate bridge and fremont on your right. thanks for joining us. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm laura garcia. rob mayeda is in for kari. >> this is looking like at least an inch of rain. the wind is part of the weather story this morning. san francisco wind speed up to 20 miles an hour.

not as cold this morning. the rain and temperatures in the 50s. our high definition mobile doppler radar this morning giving you the high-definition perspective of the downpours moving away from san francisco to observing and the east bay where it may have contributed to an accident. mike will have more on that in a moment. san jose down to the santa cruz mountains. that is your worst commute. highway 17 will be looking at 1 to 2 inches of rain during the day. the first half dealing with heavy rain at times and gusty winds changing to showers later. the story wind and ponding on the roads. mike has an update on a major issue this morning in oakland. >> all right, rob, that's right. we have a traffic alert. look behind me right here. that mangled toyota, that red one, is underknead a fedex truck. you see the hood from the cab as well. you can see traffic is getting by. they're getting by over on the shoulder. this has been the case since 2:15 when they opened to traffic passing the scene.

despite the major crash, no major injuries. this rig is across the lane. the shoulder is getting by the scene. as rob was saying the roadways are wet. chp isn't saying exactly what caused the crash. we do know the blue indicates ponding. we saw that will be what's going on. a little flooding reported for telegraph and portions of the north bay as well. i do want to show you the peninsula did get hit with the rain and all throughout the bay area commute. we'll continue to follow that closure over in observing. back to you. >> it could be a very tough commute this morning. rob mentioned highway 17 going into the santa cruz mountains could be a really rough one for drivers today. >> absolutely. right now to nbc bay area's kris sanchez live. kris, what are conditions looking like?

we can see the rain is coming down. how is it for drivers in the area? >> reporter: the wind has started to go kind of sideways as our photographer opens the door to the van, the rain was pushing inside, so now we're wet from the inside out. as we made our way from the south bay to the summit, the roadways were pretty sloppy. a lot sloppier than what our editor says. she was coming from ben lomans down to the south bay, a few sprinkles this morning. it's full-on rain and haze. it's windy. if you were driving in the daylight you would have noticed netting at vine hill road one of the repairs on highway 17 caltrans made. they've been working on that since last year when we got walloped. while the mud slides and rock slides shut down highway 17 for two weeks last year nearly a year ago, that happened nearly a year ago and is far from a

distant memory. a lot of folks still talking about it as they commute to and from the santa cruz mountains whether it be home to work, vice versa, or just heading into the mountains for fun. it is very cold out here. the rain is coming down sideways. you'll have to use your windshield wipers pretty much on the max if you're on highway 17. look for ponding on the roadway. if you drive highway 17 for fun or business, you know that it is very dark out here. you may not see a puddle until you come up on it. we see far too many spinout accidents and solo vehicle crashes. that's when somebody just loses control. do drive safely enough for the conditions even if that means driving below the speed limit. in santa cruz, kris sanchez, "today in the bay." >> very important to drive safely and slow today. thank you very much. a lot of people are talking about the winds associated with the storm. we'll let kris go to try to take a little bit of shelter in between the live shots. we have reporters throughout the

bay area this morning to give you the best vantage points of the storm. it's starting today but is expected to last for a couple of days. >> we have been talking about this for days now, letting people know this is coming. of course we had icy weather on tuesday and here we are on thursday seeing the rain in the area. we have reporters out there monitoring those situations and, of course, we will continue to monitor the situations throughout the morning. but right now we want to go to nbc bay area's pete suratos monitoring those situations. good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you. the rain has let up just a little bit here in the north bay. we still have a good amount of wind. this area that's prone to flooding. when you see a good amount of rain and cars driving through right now this morning getting ready for that morning commute. i want to show you some video from petaluma overnight where you see people dealing with the rain and some of the conditions

we're talking about this morning. here's some people we talk to, our crew has talked to overnight when it comes to the rain. here is what they had to say. >> when it comes torrential, it causes issues with driving and small businesses and things like that with flooding. we need it. the more the rain, the better. >> i look forward to not living in such a dry, dead, brown place. all good to me. >> reporter: back out here live off lucky drive, of course, as i mentioned prone to some flooding when the rain comes in. it's not raining right now but, of course, you see a good amount on our drive here on 101 from san francisco to this marin area. we'll have another update in the next hour on the conditions. we'll send it back to you in the newsroom. >> thank you very much. put that hood on. if you want to stay connected wherever you go, download our free nbc bay area app. not only news but you can get the weather radar pinpointed to

where you are. it is free for iphone and android devices. we're following the latest out of washington, d.c. the white house looking for its fifth now -- fifth communications director yesterday. hope hicks suddenly resigned. >> one of the first to join the trump administration. her departure will be a big loss for president trump. >> reporter: today white house officials are already considering candidates to replace hope hicks as white house communications director. but even when that job is filled analysts say there will still be a large role that will remain unfilled, trusted confidant and aide to the president. >> hope hicks is a tremendously talented person. >> reporter: hicks worked in the trump administration and signed on to the campaign in its earliest days. >> it's not just that she's been in that crucial -- she has been somebody who kind of has a connection to him very few other people had.

>> reporter: hicks announced her resignation a day after testifying about the russia investigation on capitol hill. she apparently said she's occasionally told white lies as part of her job. >> she was asked did donald trump ever ask her to lie, and her answer was that she never told an untruth on anything of substance. >> reporter: democrats blasted hicks' refusal to answer most questions. >> she said the white house told her she couldn't answer which is actually an unlawful act. >> reporter: white house officials say hicks has been planning her exit for months and insists her congressional testimony had nothing to do with her resignation. a white house official says the president called her irreplaceable. >> he has at least another long time ahead of him. 4:08. up next with the scoot shooting still fresh, one bay area superintendent tries to eat the

minds of parents. this after a recent threat is made against one of the schools. >> plus help for undocumented immigrants. what leaders in san francisco are trying to do.

and right now we're showing you the windy commute with winds of 21 miles an hour and, of course, on the mobile doppler radar, you see into san jose

where the combination of wind and rain are already causing big problems for your morning commute. mike? >> that's right. we're looking at one problem that is cleared. they cleared all lanes southbound 880. we'll show you what was going on over there. a little flooding. that green highlighting all over the bay. some windy conditions. >> okay. so we're getting stormy here. a look at your screen now. guess where that is from. arizona. a lot of snow in arizona as well. flagstaff, the higher elevation of arizona, no stranger to snow. school closures for driving conditions for the people there. you see the roads are pretty quiet because more snow is expected to fall.

>> parents on edge. the superintendent of san jose's alum rock district is saying there's nothing to fear. >> i work with the police department. they addressed the matter and concluded there's no imminent danger to any of the schools. >> the threat suggested violence against schools in the area. they asked twitter to investigate. continuing coverage for you now. the acting mayor of san francisco says he will discuss a new effort to give legal help to immigrants detained by i.c.e. we've reported that agents arrested about 150 people in northern california this past weekend. today mayor mark farrell will announce representation for those immigrants. >> and of course we continue to

follow that rain, wind as well as snow. the bay area under a micro climate weather alert. rob mayeda is in for kari hall tracking all of it. we're seeing the rain and snow in the sierra. wind and rain around san jose as we show you your south bay commute socked in by heavy downpours now moving through. more on the way. details coming up. and this shaky look at the oakland camera. we have a smooth drive but, look, the glow from the light is blurry. it will be tough to see as well in spots because of the rain. tough traction. ad lib over wsi

tracking the storm, a live look at the radar right now over the bay area. you can find where you are, maybe where your head is today. allow extra time as the storm is here and it's going to stick around for a while. >> it's been such a dry february, now into march a big change for your morning commute. we're seeing downpours widespread from the peninsula down into parts of the south bay. a view in oakland where it's 50 degrees currently. 50 degrees and wind speeds, we'll look at dublin. not as cold this morning. those wind speeds are quite gusty up to 21 miles an hour. we'll take you into san

francisco. wind speeds at 20 and into san jose looking at moderate rain and wind speeds at 16 miles an hour at 50 degrees. from san jose where you're having the heaviest of the rain. you can see one band of rain pushing through. things are easing up a little bit around midday and then cool air aloft. lowering snow levels and some hail for some of the heavier showers. here is the other component. the wind speeds, 15 to 30 miles an hour. the reason a wind advisory is up for the entire bay area through 10:00 tonight. gusty throughout the day. could see gusts 40 to 50 miles an hour in some of the higher hill tops that could lead to power issues and broken branches and downed trees. hour by hour for the forecast today. the heaviest rain will be moving from north to south through morning. as we head to lunch time, things

will ease up from san francisco into the north bay. we'll see briefly lighter rain. the heavier, more widespread rain starts to push away from san jose and now into the cool and unsettled air starting to sweep in. pockets of downpours, heavier showers, there is a chance this cool air aloft we may be dealing with some thundershowers, too. you'll notice the coverage begins to decrease the second half of the day. that will set the stage friday into saturday for snow levels as low as 2,000 to 3,000 feet. the higher hills, they get a dusting into saturday morning. if you have weekend plans right now, sunday looks better. we'll start to clear things out. a chilly north wind as we wrap up the weekend and then the seven-day forecast begins to dry things out for the first half of next week. your micro climate forecast. temperatures in the mid-50s. not that deveron frifferent fro temperatures outside right now. the seven-day forecast gets

unsettled tomorrow. could have some thundershowers with hail, maybe some low snow levels. the second half of the weekend things begin to clear out which is the exact opposite we're seeing on the roadways. >> tough conditions out there. look over here, over my shoulder, this is the video and it looks horrible. and it is for the car itself. the driver did not have major injuries. this was the nimitz freeway southbound. we had all but the shoulder closed for quite a few hours this morning, since 2:00 this morning. just minutes ago we got the update they have reopened lanes. look how rainy it is here as well. that is continuing to be the case around the bay. once again that crash that closed lanes of traffic for southbound 880 was cleared. look how quick that recovery is. it took less than five to ten minutes and everything is just fine again heading away from the bay bridge. now that blue on our maps is our road weather index taking rob's weather data and translating it to the conditions. maybe patches throughout the

north bay. over here more rain coming over across the san mateo bridge and dumbarton. hayward wet and slicker conditions all throughout the peninsula. no major delays on the roadways. the systems are moving well. b.a.r.t. slows trains when it rains. they're starting at regular speed easing into the morning service. the wind continues to develop. back to you. thank you very much, mike. it is 4:21 right now. walmart is joining dick's sporting goods in tightening restrictions on weapons and ammunitions sales. yesterday morning we told you how dick's would stop selling assault style weapons and raise the buying age of other weapons to 21. walmart announced similar plans. walmart phased out assault weapons three years ago and most stores no longer offer handguns. now the chain plans to remove

any nonlethal gun. each store cited recent shootings as the primary reason for the change. a wells fargo worker is accusing the bank of freezing and closing hundreds of accounts. according to "the new york times" that worker is suing the bank and his former manager for retaliati retaliation. this after he was fired -- or actually he filed multiple internal complaints. he was a fraud investigator in portland, oregon. he says the bank routinely closed accounts and dropped customers when the first signs of fraud appeared before there was a proper investigation. the bank says it is reviewing the legal complaints. 4:22. this morning california lawmakers may consider new rules to limit online shopping. one lawmaker wan to require retailers like amazon to take better steps to verify your age before you buy. a teenager was able to buy a box of weapons from amazon.

an assemblyman says he plans to expand his bill preventing kids from applying for an online account with their parents' consent. a surprise for "black panther" fans on the "tonight" show. >> what the show means to them and then the star shocked them by walking in. >> i just want to say thank you so much for making "black panther." i can't express how much it means to me and the community and my family. >> i think there's something wrong with your microphone. >> oh! >> such poise and joy. >> that was so great -- >> oh! >> now "black panther" director ryan kugler, oakland's own, already that film "black

panther" has earned $400 million in the u.s. >> kind of funny. they were very heartfelt. >> it shows the impact of the movie. coming up next on "today in the bay," protecting your kids while at school. the way these backpacks can possibly save a life. you could generate your own energy, at home. or to save energy, unplug unused appliances. do your thing, with energy upgrade california.

taking a live look out there. you can see the camera shaking. this is what we've been talking about, the winds gusting. we're tracking the rain right now in our area. rob mayeda will come in in a few minimum with more of what's going on right now. it is 4:26. one florida security company is offering what it says is additional protection for students in the event of an

active shooter. >> specially designed bulletproof backpack. the designer and the president of the company and father of two. he says he came up with this idea shortly after the sandy hook shooting. sales are up 150% since the parkland school shooting. >> pull it over your head, cover your back, cover the back of your head, your vital organs. >> they protect against lower caliber weapons. authorities say they do not hold up against higher velocity rifles like the ar-15. the company guard dog security has pledged to donate all proceeds from their backpacks to parkland families and victims. it is 4:27 right now. up next on "today in the bay," we're tracking micro climate weather alert. >> a combination of wind and rain for your morning commute. winds 20 miles an hour. our storm ranger mobile doppler pinpointing the heaviest rain down the peninsula into san jose. what to expect the rest of the afternoon ahead.

and a live look from our dublin camera. the bottom of the screen, the off ramp. a little slick out there. definitely an issue for traction around the bay. we're tracking the early commute and how things are developing. we're on early. it )s a wet and

morning -- a powerful storm system is a micro climate weather alert. it is wet and windy. a powerful storm system moving through the bay area right now. you can see our oakland camera

is shaking out there. buckle up. a wild morning out on the roads already. "today in the bay" starts right now. good morning. actually we went on air at 4:00 because of this storm. good morning to you. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. that storm the story of the day. the radar one more time and rob mayeda is standing by keeping track of what's going on. rob, what can we expect throughout the rest of the day? >> probably the worst part of the storm coming in, unfortunately, right on top of your morning commute. the south bay seeing the heaviest downpours right now and you'll have to contend with gusty wind. you can see observing at 21 miles an hour and another difference the temperatures starting off at 50 degrees in oakland. you can see san jose also 50 degrees. wind speeds at 16 miles an hour. a view of mobile doppler radar showing you widespread moderate to heavy rain from your highway 17 commute into san jose. the rain for now starting to ease up a bit. our sto