right now at 6:00, excitement ahead of today's rare solar eclipse. we take a look at how cities across the u.s. are preparing, from the path of totality to right here in the bay area. if you have eclipse glasses, you can test them before the big show in the sky. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. an astronomer will show us how next. will nature cooperate enough to see the cosmic phenomenon? we're tracking all the visibility across the bay area

this morning for you. this is "today in the bay." good monday morning to you. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm laura garcia. happy eclipse day to you. in just a matter of hours, the eclipse will sweep from southern mexico across much of the united states and canada, and here in the bay area we'll get a little partial taste. how will our weather hold up? meteorologist kari hall is joining us now. she's got her eye on the sky and it looks like things are relatively clear? >> yes, it's going to be all clear for the bay area. and if only we could see the whole eclipse, right? but we are going to have some great conditions out there for our partial solar eclipse here. our temperatures are starting out chilly. you want to make sure you're bundled up for the start of the day with low 40s right now. we'll see it warming up quite a bit as we go through the next several hours. looking at the clear sky that we have across the region, and a

live look in san francisco, our temperatures are going from low 50s to mid-60s going into later today. a light wind and really nice spring-like conditions after a chilly weekend. a look at all of our highs. we're going to be warming up quite a bit, going from low 70s today to upper 70s tomorrow. take a look at san jose's forecast. 78 degrees, one of the warmer spots will be 78 in san francisco, and 77 in napa and the same for most of contra costa county. i'll also have a look at traffic in a few minutes. >> thank you so much. we are a few hours away from today's solar eclipse, and while the bay area is nowhere near the path of totality, there will be a partial eclipse to enjoy. the conditions should cooperate in the skies. "today in the bay"'s ginger conejero saab joins us live in san francisco this morning. and you've got a spot saved for us up on a rooftop?

>> reporter: i do, laura. but you guys are going to have to bring some of the drinks, the juice and the water. that's because rooftops like this, that is where it's at. starting at 10:00 this morning, that is when a san francisco astronomer told me that the moon will begin to kiss the sun, and that's really when our solar eclipse, our partial solar eclipse will begin. she says this can be seen as a unifying event, something that people throughout history have experienced. take a moment to enjoy it, to look up at the skies safely, but a group of people who will be enjoying today's eclipse will, of course, be scientists, because much can be learned from them. >> the corona itself is a little bit of a mystery. it's a lot hotter than the sun and we're not quite sure why, because it's a lot less dense. and this gives us an opportunity to explore the corona a little

more. >> reporter: well, speaking of those watch parties, today's partial solar eclipse will have several of them across the bay area, several locations here in san francisco, including the exploratorium, the academy of sciences and san francisco state university's observatory. people are also getting together at the lawrence hall of science in berkeley where our bob redell is. he'll let us know more in the next half hour. there's also the robert ferguson observatory in kenwood and oakland's chabot space and science center. that is where we will be later this morning. their event is sold out. speaking of sold out, the solar eclipse has created a very high demand for one essential item. if you want to look up and experience this eclipse. >> i am holding a pair of eclipse glasses that have been our best selling item for the past few weeks. we've been selling about 100 pairs a day.

>> reporter: well, the next solar eclipse, total solar eclipse that can be seen here in the u.s. won't happen until 2044. you can really understand why there's so much excitement. as we were talking about what scientists have discovered in past eclipses, an astronomer said helium was discovered in a solar eclipse and einstein's theory of general relativity was proven because of an eclipse. the discoveries await to see what we can find out with today's solar eclipse. >> thank you so much, ginger. a lot of you may be asking, especially if you have kids, will my eclipse glasses work when i need them to today? astronomers say you can check them right now. consumer investigator chris chmura shows us how. >> with reports of counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses, you might wonder about yours. are they legitimate, dark enough to protect your eyes, too dark that you won't see the eclipse?

the american astronomical society prepared a list of glasses that passed lab tests and should work. snap this qr code to see if your glasses are on the list. also look for this stamp, iso 12312-2, it's an international science standard for looking at the sun. >> anybody can print eclipse glasses that their product meets that standard. how do you know that it really does? the only way to know for sure is that it's gotten tested. >> dr. rick fineberg is on the task force and said you can run a basic test on your eclipse glasses at home. step one, start inside and put the glasses on. if they block out everything, you should be okay. now on to step two. step outside. >> take them out and take a brief glance at the sun through them on the next sunny day. if the sun is comfortably bright, you're almost certainly fine. >> what if you go outside for a test run and your eclipse glasses block the sun? >> if you can't see the sun, you know you've gotten defective glasses.

you should try to get them replaced if there's time, but we're getting so close we're kind of running out of time. >> if you can't find a new pair, borrow someone else's. doctors say do not try everyday sunglasses. they're not strong enough to safely watch an eclipse. >> and we will have special coverage on air, beginning at 10:00 a.m. this morning. if you want to know more like the best ways to take a picture, just go to our website, nbcbayarea.com. you can click on the solar eclipse link that's going to be in the trending bar of the page. you can see all the stories ahead of the eclipse. 6:07 right now. to other headlines, recovery in downtown san francisco will be one of the major talking points of a panel discussion taking place today in sacramento. we have a live look at the state capitol. that is where mayor london breed will appear for an assembly hearing focused on statewide downtown revitalization efforts in the wake of the pandemic.

lawmakers formed the new committee two months ago, with the aim of re-energizing commerce and tenant occupancy. the fcc chairwoman meets with the public safety leaders today in campbell, so this comes ahead of the fcc vote planned for later this month to bring back net neutrality, a policy repealed during the trump administration. net neutrality standards require internet service providers to treat all data equally and ban the so-called throttling of data flow. supporters say that restoring fcc oversight is critical, especially when it comes to first responders. 6:08 on your monday morning. taking a live look outside. look at that, the sun is arrival over the bay area. we start at 5:00 a.m., so it's still dark.

it's nice to see the sun. >> the days are getting longer day by day, we add a couple of minutes to sunrise or sunset. and the solar eclipse happening for us, it's all clear. our temperatures will be warming up and some of our inland highs will reach into the low 80s by the middle of the week. friday it starts to cool off and there will be rain chances back for the weekend, but it looks like it's going to be a great day, with our temperatures in concord starting out in the mid-50s. at 1:00, it's 68 degrees, and reaching into the low 70s today. 71 in san jose, 73 in napa, and 75 in santa rosa. san francisco near the coastline in the mid-60s and warming up even more for tomorrow, with some upper 70s for the inland valleys. we'll be checking on that. let's get a look at the roads. there's such a big jam-up right now on 101 in san jose. we have a couple of accidents that are now happening on the roads, and it is causing it to slow down right there on 101.

one of the workarounds may be for you to go around on 680 or just stay on 280, if possible, because we are starting to see it backing up as you get right there past downtown san jose. looking at the drive times for the tri-valley, it takes you about 24 minutes to get from grant line road to 680, and we typically see it slowing down, either 580 or 680 coming through the tri-valley. it's time for everyone to get up and head out the door. >> you heard kari. she said get up. 6:09 right now. marking a celestial moment with a perfect photo. but how do you make sure you get that perfect photo with proper protection? next, a few hacks to get the best views of the eclipse with your phone. new reports say tesla is going to cancel its lowest cost car. we'll look into that. let's look into the future this

morning and see what's going to happen. it looks like we're going to start with a positive day. and honoring the one and only tony bennett. ♪♪ ♪ i left my heart ♪ >> so classic. we're going to talk about a special exhibit that is opening up at one nob hill hotel that certainly loved him. we're going to show you how you can eventually own a piece of history. keep it here. you're watching "today in the bay."

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good monday morning. it's 6:13. let's get a look at santa rosa. it's a very cool morning here and across the bay area. low 50s at 9:00. at 1:00 we're in the upper 60s and you can see how fast it warms up and shapes up to be a very comfortable day. lots of sunshine today and even warmer temperatures ahead. more on that in a few minutes. and looking at the south bay, we do have a big jam-up. we have a new accident on 101 just as you approach mckee going northbound. that's caused a lot of problems going northbound from 85 to 87 takes you about 23 minutes. starting to see some issues on the roads. we'll get a wrap-up in a few minutes. good morning. very happy monday to you. we got another blowout jobs number on friday, more than 300,000 jobs added to the economy last month. unemployment rates fell and that

has investors somewhat worried the fed may not cut as soon or as often this year. tsmc, taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, the white house expected to announce a $6 billion grant under the chips act to that company. the chipmaker wants to build a $65 billion facility in arizona. treasury secretary janet yellen wrapping up a four-day visit to china. no policy changes. america and china are trying to balance competition with cooperation. this is her second trip to china in nine months. president biden is expected to announce huge changes to student loan forgiveness, including forgiving all accumulated interest on some loans. we'll talk more about that as we talk politics coming up. reuters reporting that tesla has dropped plans to make a lower cost car, the proposed model 2.

tesla's ceo elon musk says that's not true. we will point out historically when reuters says something and elon musk says something else, reuters tends to be right in the end. tesla also dropping the price of its best selling model y by as much as $7,500. the bigger model y now costs as little as the less expensive model 3 was when it was introduced. a judge in brazil is launching a criminal investigation of elon musk after musk said his other company, x, would not obey a brazilian court order and remove certain accounts that spread false news about brazilian officials. musk said the company's actions violating the order would result in, we'll probably lose all revenue in brazil and have to shut down our office there, but principles matter more than profit. and a two lawsuits against tesla begin this week in northern california. the most watched will be the case of walter wang, an apple engineer who died on 101 in

mountain view after his self-driving tesla hit a concrete barrier at more than 70 miles an hour. the ntsb says the driver was playing a video game on his phone at the time. the other is a los angeles woman but it will be filed in a northern california court. the car was off, she says, the doors open, and she was getting groceries out when her toddler climbed in, turned on the car, got it into drive and pinned her against the garage wall. she says that a car should not be able to be operated or turned on by a 2-year-old. >> that easily. >> so two to watch. >> thank you very much, scott. >> you bet. 6:17 this morning. trending, the start of a heartfelt tribute for legendary crooner, and he left his heart in san francisco years ago. >> i was very fortunate. i just loved to sing, and as far as i'm concerned, i never worked a day in my life.

>> that is tony bennett. it's tony bennett, a life well lived. it opens today at the fairmont hotel where the late singer had a close connection. the three-day exhibit features artifacts from his life, including a cable car bell that the city gave him in 1980, and a san francisco giants jacket he was given and wore during the 2010 world series. all of the items could be yours. they're being shipped to new york for an auction once the exhibit closes here. ♪♪ ♪ i'm blinded by the light ♪ >> you don't want to be blinded so you can take a photo. let's talk about the opportunity to take a photo. the solar eclipse, for many people, no doubt, a moment to hold on to forever. but the pictures from your phone may not turn out so well. >> unless you take a few steps

to make sure you get the best shot. try using your eclipse glasses to actually filter your lens. you can also buy a special sun filter for phone lenses which can help you capture a clear shot. you may want to adjust the exposure or get a tripod to minimize movement. remember, don't zoom in too much. it can decrease quality. experts say it's important to wear the proper gear. >> so you do not want to look at the sun with your naked eye, even for a few second. there's a very serious chance that you will burn the retina in your eye, and that can cause permanent damage. >> now, whether you're watching in the path of totality or here at home in the bay area, you're going to need some special eclipse glasses to look at the sun. we've put together what to look for and how to make your own.

just go to the qr code on your screen, take your phone and point it and click right there. it's going to take you straight to nbcbayarea.com. >> certainly want to make sure they are safe. we're only going to see a partial part of it here in the bay area. the sky is clear, and of course we have you covered with everything happening, where there is the path of totality. let's get a look at our view this morning as you get ready to step out on this monday. it is a chilly start. oakland right now, the coolest on this map, at 43 degrees, and it's 44 in walnut creek. as our sky continues to clear out the storm systems moving away, we will have several days of sunshine in our forecast. we've been talking about the storm system moving across parts of the midwest and now starting to extend a little bit closer to that atlantic coast. but in some of those areas where we are going to see that eclipse moving through, starting out in texas, it will be right over waco and dallas fort worth at

about 4:40 their time. then we see it make its way into oklahoma and then over toward arkansas and missouri, and then continuing to move through indiana. we can see it approaching indianapolis at 6:05 eastern time. and then continuing to move off towards ohio and then upstate new york, buffalo and rochester seeing that later this evening. and then finally making its way off the main coast at 7:35 p.m. so we'll be watching all of that for you for today. looking at our temperatures that are warming up quite a bit compared to what we had over the weekend, headed for the low 70s today. and the warming trend is what we can expect throughout the week. it's going to feel like spring for the next several days, and even toward late spring, more of a warm feel to the air. but this weekend things change and we are headed back to winter. a storm system coming in will bring us some rain, cool temperatures, and more snow to

the sierra. so a look at our seven-day forecast, look at all of these changes. last week we were in the 50s for highs, today we're up to 70. we'll reach into the low 80s and then back down to the 60s with rain off and on for the weekend. looking at san francisco, we are going to see those temperatures here warming up as well. the warmest day on wednesday, headed for 74 degrees, but then back to the upper 50s for saturday, with some off and on rain. let's get you on the roads this morning. a look at the golden gate bridge, that does show a smooth flow of traffic, but it has already jammed up. metering lights are on as you approach the bay bridge toll plaza, and we're seeing it slowing, but it is definitely a big crowd there on the san mateo bridge. and we are barely moving on 101 in san jose. we're starting to see a couple issues. it looks like there was an accident and then there was another one in the nearby area, so that's causing even more of a jam as you approach mckee road

going northbound on 101 in san jose. but then we also have another accident on one of the roads that may be your alternate looking at 85, we are seeing an accident happening there, maybe some debris on the roadway. so just be careful on your way out the door. we are seeing it jamming up as well for the tri-valley. i'll be tracking that for you with another update coming up in a few minutes. >> thanks, kari. advancing the search for an alzheimer's cure. coming up next, the all new discovery made by researchers in the new push to see if

6:25. new this morning, the number of alzheimer's patients is expected to double within 30 years. the one new study that helps to slow the disease. the ahead study is testing a new fda approved drug. researchers are looking for people who show no symptoms, because they say brain changes related to alzheimer's can start up to 20 years sooner. for african americans and hispanic americans, the impact is almost three times as likely. advocates want to change that by making research and care more available for minority groups. >> these historically underrepresented groups don't have the same access to care than the white population, the predominant population.

the research we've done on alzheimer's disease, especially on drugs to treat alzheimer's, has been done predominantly on the white population, so we need studies that consider everybody. >> the ahead study targets people between the ages of 55 and 80. ahead for you this morning, we've got a lot to cover at 6:30, including an overnight fire at one san francisco business. new details from crews at the scene about where it started and how much of that business was saved. and i'm bob redell. coming up, the solar eclipse just a few hours out. the viewing parties throughout the bay a

it's incredible. it's something you'll remember your whole life. >> right now at 6:30, the countdown is on to today's solar eclipse. even here in the bay area, people should be able to get a glimpse of something special. from the dos to the don'ts and the how tos, we've got you covered on all fronts to enjoy the best eclipse experience. one bay area observatory getting ready for crowds to come and enjoy. the special preparations being taken to protect one expensive piece of technology. and your eclipse forecast. we're tracking the visibility this morning ahead of the rare cosmic event. this is "today in the bay."

good monday morning to you. 6:30 right now. thanks for starting your day with us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. a lot of people plan to stop what they're doing today to take in the solar show. here is the path of totality, sweeping from mexico through the united states up to canada. but the excitement, of course, is spreading coast to coast. >> we're live this morning near one place that should be packed with observers. "today in the bay"'s bob redell joins us live in the berkeley hills, not far from the lawrence hall of science. what's happening there today, bob? >> reporter: well, this is one of the locations throughout the bay area, just to the right of me, the lawrence hall of science will be having a viewing party. that's in the hills just overlooking berkeley. south of us, the chabot space and science center, that's in the hills over oakland. we went over there yesterday to speak with astronomer gerald mckeegan who tells us that his

event is sold out. their event party expecting hundreds to watch the solar eclipse, which will start around 10:15 this morning, with a maximum for us around 11:13, 11:14. you don't want to look directly at the sun. they'll be putting a special filter on the telescope to look at the sun safely. you can buy an inexpensive pair of solar eclipse glasses that block out 99% of the sun's rays. >> we have a balcony and we have our own telescope. they told us that we should use these because we can't look at the sun with our regular telescope. we would need a special lens for that. >> reporter: unfortunately, we in the bay area will only have a partial solar eclipse, as kari has been mentioning. as you can see on your screen, it's other parts of the country, the midwest and northeast, which will experience total darkness. airbnb says nine out of ten rentals inside that corridor are

sold out. so here is a list of the viewing parties. the exploratorium at 10:00, the lawrence hall of science in berkeley, as i mentioned. the robert ferguson observatory in sonoma county. the chabot space and science center is already sold out. right now the skies are clear, i do see a little bit of haziness as i look behind me across the bay. but the skies themselves, i can see where the sun is going to be coming up, is clear. it's forecast to stay this way through the eclipse. reporting live in the hills over berkeley, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> already a nice morning. thank you so much, bob. the only people in the path of totality will get the full experience of today's solar eclipse. >> let's bring in meteorologist kari hall to explain what happens. >> solar eclipses happen when the sun, the moon and earth align and the moon passes between the earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun's

light, therefore casting the moon's shadow on earth. a total solar eclipse happens when the moon is fully obscuring the sun and the umbra is the inner cone-shaped part of that shadow. it's the part in which the light has been blocked and all of that light is blocked. during the partial solar eclipse, it just blocks a portion of the sun's face, with the moon appearing to take a bit out of the sun. and the outer part of the moon's shadow, only part of the sun is covered. the moon will block the sunlight for about two hours from start to finish. for the bay area, the most the moon will block the sun will be 35%, starting at 10:14, peaking at 11:13, and ending at 12:15. we will have a mostly clear sky, but others in the path of totality are not so lucky. i'll send it back to you, laura and marcus. more than 30 million people

expected to be in the path of totality and that means a short period in total darkness. >> provided the weather cooperates, there may be no better place to see the junction between the sun and moon and earth than junction, texas. that's where we find "today in the bay's" jay gray this morning. >> reporter: the eclipse begins its u.s. journey in texas, and in the heart of the hill country history getting a proper lone star welcome. riding and roping. picking and grinning. a washer's tournament and sipping eclipse wine from a texas vineyard. the festival turning the eclipse into a three-day celebration. >> for those coming for the eclipse, we wanted to give them something to do while they're here. >> reporter: games, goods, local royalty, eclipse chasers coming from across the country and around the world, hoping for that rare glimpse of the moon,

completely blocking its powerful rays. >> it's incredible. it's something to remember your whole life. >> reporter: the path of totality moves from the pacific to the atlantic across 15 states, home to more than 31 million. but forecasters warn a big part of that path could be covered in clouds. the exploratorium museum in san francisco teaming with nasa, will stream live across the globe. after two years of research and planning, their telescopes and cameras are surrounded by blue bonnets and hay bales, betting on clear skies. >> we talked to weather folks and it turns out this is the best place in the united states in terms of weather. >> reporter: everything along the path of the eclipse hoping they'll be left in the dark in just a few hours. jay gray, nbc news, junction, texas. and we will have special coverage on air, beginning at around 10:00 this morning. if you would like to know more, like the best way to take a picture, head to our website,

nbcbayarea.com. you can click on the solar eclipse link. it is up in our trending bar to see all of our stories ahead of the eclipse. 6:36 right now. new overnight in san francisco, fire fighters mopping up after an rv caught fire outside of an auto shop. it started a little after 2:30 this morning on newhall street in the bay view. firefighters managed to save most of the structure. no one was injured. continuing coverage along the central coast where convoys are expected to continue today to assist locals and tourists trapped one week after the shifting terrain destabilized an area underneath highway 1, closing that roadway. this is near rocky creek in monterey county. caltrans says engineers are keeping an eye on the road to make sure that it is safe enough for the convoys to pass through. they're also working on a plan to temporarily stabilize the roadway. let's take a live look across the bay area on this

monday morning. lots of different vantage points there. relatively clear, which is nice for this day, all things solar eclipse. >> we need to give it a name. we name all of the other sliders for our cameras. >> oaky. >> okeydokey. let's get a look at more vantage points. we are starting out with temperatures in the low to mid-40s. we are at 43 in oakland right now and it's 48 in san francisco, 47 in san jose, as we get started. it is a clear view and we are going to continue to see sunshine for today, warming up, going from upper 40s to start, to upper 60s here. and there will be a light wind overall, just really nice and comfortable. some low 70s for the south bay. san jose, as well as morgan hill, san martin, 71. 71 in novato, 75 in santa rosa, and in concord today 73 degrees. we do continue to warm up, at

least through the middle of the week, and some of us will be headed for the low 80s. tomorrow we'll be on that trend with some upper 70s for the south bay, to the east bay to the north bay. so i'll have a look at those changes. let's get a look at the morning commute as you get ready to head out. here is a look at the richmond-san rafael bridge, quite a few cars, slowing down. the internet is stuttering, not the traffic. we are looking at the bay bridge toll plaza approach. it is all jammed up. it's going to take you a while to get across. we are seeing more people out and about on the san mateo bridge. so of course it's taking its usual course and slowing down at this time as well. we've seen a big jam-up on 101 in san jose. it is still very slow after an earlier accident, which i think is wrapping up. but this is as you approach mckee. we are seeing it slowing down and the backup extends past 280. i'll keep an eye on that as well with another update in a few minutes.

6:39 right now. some argue sidewalk planters are taking over parts of san francisco, but only in certain areas and not without a lot of controversy. the growing battle over future regulations some believe may take away basic freedoms. president biden is expected today to make more announcements about student loan relief. plus, for some people, today's eclipse could mean a whole lot more than a few thrilling moments. we're going to check in and call this a lifetime of thrilling moments. next, the couple using today's event to mark something special etat will last a lif

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good monday morning. as you get ready to head out, it's 6:42. driving through the peninsula, we're going to start with temperatures in the low 40s for that commute. we're going to see things warming up. by lunchtime, we're at 62 degrees and reaching into the upper 60s here today. really nice day ahead. and we will continue to warm up. so i'll have more on that in the microclimate forecast. in traffic, it is looking good coming through the north bay. not seeing many issues with fog and across the golden gate bridge there is a smooth flow of traffic heading into san francisco. another look at weather and traffic in a few minutes. >> nice sunrise. thank you. it is 6:43.

president biden is expected to announce yet more student loan relief today in a speech in wisconsin. >> scott mcgrew, we have heard the president announce relief before, but you say this one is particularly big. >> this one is a lot bigger. it's been kind of piecemeal in the past, marcus. this will cover more than a billion in loan relief. the prediction is more than seven out of ten people who owe on their student loans will get some kind of relief. among the details that we have been able to figure out, among the simplest solution, people who have not applied for relief will be given the relief anyway. and then other details as well. anyone who has been paying undergraduate loans for more than 20 years could see their loans erased. others who are losing ground because of interest could see their interest portion erased. and those experiencing financial hardship. now, at this point we have no idea how they're going to define this one. the president will talk up the

economy. on friday the march jobs report was another blowout. more than 300,000 jobs added to the economy. wages are up, gdp is up, inflation is down, well below its highs. yet many americans still think the economy is doing poorly. now, part of that is high interest rates and high gas prices. interest rates and gas prices go up in a strong economy, they go down in a suffering economy. add to that former president trump has been painting the american economy as a suffering economy, but, again, the data just don't support that. the biden campaign says it raised $90 million last month and has $192 million on hand. the trump campaign has not yet reported its march fundraising total, but former president trump had a campaign fundraiser at mar-a-lago over the weekend. >> it's going to be the most important, i believe, election we've ever had. i think it's going to go down as the most important date in the history of our country, that's

november 5th, will be the most important date in the history of our country. >> earlier this morning, mr. trump addressed the abortion issue on truth social, saying concretely the issue to be left to the states, that there should not be a ban on abortion nationally, anyway. he made exceptions, he said, for rape, incest and the life of the mother. the abortion issue is a no win for the trump campaign. many in his party have been pushing for a nationwide six-week ban with no exceptions. they're not going to like this new position, and many american voters, the majority, in fact, support a woman's choice. fcc chair will be in campbell today to push for stronger net neutrality rules. she'll be joined by the chief of the santa clara county fire department. the fire department saw its internet communications throttled by its internet service provider because it used too much data, the way a teenager watches too many videos and the family's internet slows

down. but santa clara county fire at the time was helping to fight the mendocino complex fire at the time and they saw their communications throttled. >> good to know. scott mcgrew for us. thanks, scott. tensions are growing in san francisco, this is as the city gets closer to a new permit policy for sidewalk planters. the debate over the planters really has sparked a lot of controversy. some believe that they're actually being installed to deter the unhoused. the association says the new program will be a big step backwards. >> personally, i don't think you should have to get a permit to love your neighborhood. i think it would be nice if the city showed us a little more love and responded to the issues we have. >> we did reach out to the department of public works, but

did not hear back last night. in an email to the group, a department spokesperson said that the permit is free, but they want planters to be registered so they know who to contact if there's a problem, adding the permit will cover many types of projects, including planters, benches and small libraries. the city says the new rules and regulations are close to being finalized. another bay area athlete punches her ticket to paris. cal grad kara kohler qualified for the olympics. she won at the olympic trials and won the bronze medal at 2012 london games. in tokyo, she placed ninth. nbc bay area is your home for all things olympics. our jessica aguirre will be in paris this summer to bring us reports about our local athletes. the olympics kick off on july 26th, right here on nbc bay

area. ♪♪ ♪ once upon a time i was falling in love ♪ ♪ now i'm only falling apart ♪ ♪ there's nothing i can do, a total eclipse of the heart ♪ >> okay, we hope these love stories don't fall apart. couples are getting ready to show their love, that it spans to the moon and back. >> the biggest mass wedding happening under a total solar eclipse today. folks are flocking to russellville, arkansas, they got a marriage license all in preparation for today. it's part of a three-day eclipse festival and the celestial ceremony is scheduled just minutes before totality. >> it's going to be cheaper. cheaper, too, really. >> it's going to be the coolest wedding ever. >> i bet it will be. part of the marriage license and ring, the wedding is free, with

the purchase of two tickets, $100 tickets to the festival. they'll be providing decorations, cake, and a sparkling fruit drink for all couples. >> they're putting a ring on it. >> that is a really cool way to not only celebrate this, and then it's so cheap. man, we should have done something like that. >> $200 and there you go. >> and total eclipse of the heartland is what we're calling it. >> i like it. we're all clear, i just wish we could see more of it. i don't think it's going to be that visible, where it just gets a little darker for us. the sky is all clear. we're going to have some warm temperatures today, the warm-up continues as we go throughout the week. before you know it, we'll see spots hitting the low 80s. such a big change from the 50s we had last week. then in time for this upcoming weekend, it's going to be cooling off again. take a look at the seven-day

forecast at the bottom of the screen. we'll be in the mid to upper 60s for much of the coastline and the peninsula. then as you get farther inland, the santa clara valley, the tri-valley will be in the low 70s today. even mid-70s for napa and sonoma valleys. for tomorrow, we'll be in the upper 70s for highs. look at wednesday. we're going to reach into the low 80s. that's a little taste of summer for us before we see those numbers coming back down. as far as rain, well, for the month of april we typically are transitioning from our wetter winter months to the dryer summer months. we're right in between and we've already had a decent amount of rainfall. there will be more on the way as we approach the weekend, with this next system coming with some cooler temperatures, moving into the bay area late friday into saturday, even more sierra snow coming in before we start to see temperatures rebounding once again for next week. so this weekend, if you do have

trips planned to the sierra, we're going to see about 2 to 7 inches of snowfall. that's a nice coating, just enough to make the roads slick. you want to get there on friday so you can watch the snowfall. looking at the bay area, once again, we're headed for late spring, early summer, with our highs in the low 80s, and then a significant cooldown for the weekend. we're going back to the 60s, which is lower than we typically see for this time of year. looking at some warming temperatures as well for san francisco. the warmest day here will be on wednesday, up to 74 degrees. we're back to the upper 50s for saturday. let's get out there on the roadways. here is a look at palo alto. 101, everything looks great here, moving up and down the peninsula. it has started to slow down for the richmond-san rafael bridge, and this is what we usually see, the cars just quickly changing lanes there. looking at the approach to the bay bridge toll plaza, it's going to take a while.

a nice flow of traffic across the san mateo bridge that hasn't yet had any issues. we were watching a big jam-up on 101 in san jose as you approach mckee going northbound, but we've seen that clearing up and we're seeing good recovery for a few other incidents we're watching. we're also looking at that approach, trying to get to the san mateo bridge. it is jamming up there as you head south of san lorenzo. weather and traffic, i've got you covered. >> thanks, kari. it is 6:52 right now. happening now, the bay area's commercial dungeness crab season ended. it ended early after starting months late due to the possible presence of migrating whales in the pacific ocean waters. during migration there are concerns the whales will get trapped in crab netting. humpback whales are heading north again. just about three hours now until the partial solar eclipse

thrills the bay area. up next, how people here are taking preparations to take in that rare cosmic event and the timeline within

welcome back. it is 6:56. i'm marcus washington. we are moving you forward with a look at our top stories on "today in the bay." >> excitement is certainly building ahead of today's rare solar eclipse. the path of totality will span along a thin band from southern mexico through the northeastern united states and into canada. it will happen over a period of several hours. here in the bay area, we'll get a 35% partial eclipse viewing, a little after 10:00 a.m.

the sky may darken a little and you can see evidence of the partial eclipse by looking at shadows on the ground. if you plan to view the show, make sure you're wearing special eclipse glasses. if you are thinking you can see it from your telescope at home, think again, because astronomers warn watchers the eclipse without those protective glasses really could burn your retina. luckily, places like chabot space and science center have a special telescope for those gathering to view the show in the sky. >> if you want to watch today's solar eclipse, there are several places in the bay area. that includes the exploratorium and the people are also getting together at the lawrence hall of science in berkeley. if you live in the north bay, the robert ferguson observatory is the place to head. there's also an event at oakland's chabot and science center, but it is sold out. whether you're watching along the path of totality or here at home in the bay area,

you're going to need those special eclipse glasses to look at the sun. we put together a breakdown on what to look for and how to make your own. just point your camera phone right now to the qr code on your screen. it will take you straight to our explainer on nbcbayarea.com. and we will have special coverage on air beginning around 10:00 this morning. you can watch that right here at nbc bay area. or stream on roku or wherever you stream. a lot of folks want to head outside. it should be nice to watch from outside, right? >> it's going to be nice. starting out cool, but the sky is clear. we can see that sunrise over san jose right now. we're headed up for the low 70s for a high temperature today, mid-70s tomorrow and then low 80s for the middle to end of the week. then a big cooldown in time for the weekend. on the roads, we get a look around the bay area, where we're seeing minor incidents but nothing that's really jamming up

traffic than we typically see for 7:00 in the morning. it looks great as you're heading out for that drive. be safe and, of course, we'll keep you updated on everything weather and traffic. the "today" show is just moments away, but "today in the bay" continues on roku and other platforms at 8:00. our countdown to the eclipse will continue. plus scott mcgrew will break down the new student loan relief plan president biden is set to reveal today. busy day here. thanks for joining us for "today in the bay." the "today" show starts right now. good monday morning. get your good monday new york. get your glasses readi. >> the eclipse now just a few short hours away. good morning. it's april 8th. this is "today."