people if they came in contact with this substance and the fire department says they are taking every precaution in this case. >> we treat any of these situations as a complete unknown. we don't know if it's going to be overly hazardous or not so we're cautious, we go systemically step by step through our normal protocol to make sure the public and we're safe when we're going ahead and getting these samples. >> reporter: it was a similar scene at the cair headquarters in d.c. earlier today. according to cair, they received a letter with a white powder and note that read, "die a painful death, muslims." authorities on the east coast have since cleared that site but here in santa clara, still a very active scene. i talked to police about an hour ago. he said in the next few hours, they will likely have an update. hopefully we'll bring you those coming up at 6:00 tonight. reporting live in santa clara, michelle roberts nbc bay area news. >> okay. thank you, michelle. we want to take another live look from our nbc helicopter. see hazmat crews on the scene

decontaminating any of the people inside. a lot of emergency crews. again, we don't know what the white powdery substance is. they say it's too soon to say but they're not taking any chances. stay with us for the latest on the story on air and online at nbcbayarea.com. also happening right now, a microclimate weather alert. the storm door has been kicked wide open. our live doppler radar really shows you the story. it's right on cue. just in time for the evening commute. our live hd camera showing stormy skies and slick roads across the bay area. the day, not only ending with rain, but beginning with it as well. for many of us the morning commute was sluggish. enough rain to bring down some trees in the north bay. microclimate weather team is in place. let's begin, though, with our chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. two things really. tonight's storm and a new el nino update. >> yeah. we are tracking a lot here in the weather center this evening and currently it's this upper level area of he pressure that's starting to push into california that's providing this instability to bring us these

isolate ed thunderstorms tonigh. as we get a closer zoom in on the doppler radar, from fremont to mountain view we're tracking this heavier line of rainfall. as we zoom in and get a closer look on the doppler scan, it's producing about .034 an inch per hour across los altos hills and monta vista and this heavier rainfall will be moving into sunnyvale here within the next few minutes. by 5:06, through lawrence by 5:10. this heavy rain also stretches up to contra costa alameda counties. we do expect some of these stronger cells with possibly some lightning to move here into pleasanton by 5:10. fremont, you're getting heavier rainfall now. what's on store throughout tonight? isolated thunderstorms possible not only nr 7:30 but as we continue throughout 9:30 tonight. we're going to track more on rainfall coming up. that latest el nino update is also in, and based on sea-surface temperatures from september, october, and november, our el nino ranks second just behind the 1997 el

nino. so what will this mean for the el nino across california? still a 50% to 59% chance of above-average rain january, february and also in march. we're tracking a larger storm for your weekend and that's in about 15 minutes. >> okay. thanks, jeff. a live look now at traffic in marin county on 101. it seems to be moving pretty well right now. it's where the leading edge of the storms usually hit and these roads have been soaked a few times today. nbc bay area is live in mill valley off 101. any travel spots so far? >> reporter: janelle, throughout the day we haven't seen too many showers, just at about 3:30 we saw some spotty showers. we're off 101 south, exit on shore lane highway. now earlier this was completely flooded but it has since subsided and while we don't have any major incidents to report, that can all change. just off 101 south on shoreline highway, cars managed to drive through flooded areas of the

road. the results of this morning's heavy downpour in the north bay. the storms knocking down trees on route 116 leading to a power outage. a similar scene off of panoramic highway near stinson beach. >> the only incidents we heard of today related to this storm were trees down and traffic accidents. >> reporter: we spoke with chris riley who managed marin county's emergency services department. outside of traffic accidents, downed trees and wet roads during the morning commute, there wasn't much to report. but he understands that could change. >> we're watching the weather, of course. we stay in close contact with all of our local public safety partners. >> reporter: for lawrence abbott, a truck driver whose route takes him through marin county every single day, seeing some much-needed rain is always a good thing. >> yeah, i'm excited to see the rain. it's great. everything s everything's greening up. >> reporter: marin county officials tell me they plan to monitor the weather and adjust

accordingly. reporting from mill valley, nbc bay area news. >> pete, thank you zblmp. farther north in lake county, fire ravaged, the danger rekindled. the burn areas there could face severe mudslides and flooding this winter. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez is in middledowntown. jodi, from fires to mudslides this is a one-two punch for everyone up there. >> reporter: that's right, raj. mudslides and flooding are the last thing folks here in lake county need but the county is taking steps to prepare. they placed this straw-like substance across hillsides like this to keep them from sliding. everybody is hoping el nino will spare them. >> it's going to be one of the roughest winters for me, anyway, in a long time. >> reporter: cathie green's been living in an rv since losing her anderson springs house in the valley fire. now she's bracing for the next force of nature to roll in.

el nino. >> i know how to swim, so -- >> we're very concerned about the impact in our area. >> reporter: the county's fire recovery coordinator says thai been working hard to clear trees and debris but there's a lot left to tackle. she said charred and baron hills are also prime for mudslides. >> the heat of the fire is so intense it baked the earth in such a way it is like hard clay so it won't absorb rain water like it ordinarily would. >> reporter: the county has sent out mailers warning residents of the danger. not just landslides, but flooding. creeks are already starting to swell. the hidden valley lake campground closed this week because of flooding and mudslide concerns. a handful of campers including cathie green are astill there, though, trying to figure out their next move. >> i just don't have anywhere else to go at this point.

>> reporter: we're back here live. you're looking at this straw-covered hillside and other areas the county is using wood chips to prevent erosion. today's storm has been tamed, but i do know this is just the start of what is expected to be a very wet, wet winter. reporting live in middletown, jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. >> thank you. remember with more rain on the way, get your personalized neighborhood forecast 24/7. just download our free nbc bay area app. it's more accurate than your iphone forecast. we have new details tonight on the body found along a popular oakland trail. police say a teenager has been arrested for killing 38-year-old ismael omar gomez saldana of hayward. the 17-year-old suspect was arrested after seen driving the victim's car on i-580. the body was found tuesday at the martin luther king jr. regional shoreline. it's a hot item this holiday season but comes with a warning.

know the federal rules before you buy a drone. sfo is releasing a public service announcement detailing where drones can and cannot fly. the message comes less than a week after chp helicopter almost collided with a drone flying outside limitations in martinez. the incident has officials at sfo taking some serious precautions. >> fortunately, at this stage we haven't had any drone incursions that have affected aircraft operations but we don't want to wait for that to happen. we want to get out in front of it especially now with the holiday season and the expectation of drones being given as gifts. we want to provide that education now while we can. >> it's a booming business. the faa expects a half a million drones to be sold during this holiday season. thousands of gallons of bay water poured out of a broken levee in redwood city today. that's exactly what construction crew s wanted to happen. more than 100 years a levee separated bear island from the waters of the san francisco bay.

today with a final stroke by a giant power shovel, the water flowed in again. conservationists have been working since the 1960s to acquire bear islands so developers couldn't build on it. one point there was plans to put condos on the island but now it's being returned to nature. we knew this day was coming, difficult to say the least. the first victim from last week's terror attack in san bernardino was laid to rest. the funeral this afternoon for evette, one of the 14 people killed during that holiday party in san bernardino. the 27-year-old was an environmental health specialist with the county. she was a colleague of one of the shooters, syed farook. also today, the fbi searched a lake just a few miles away from the massacre. authorities say received a tip that the attackers visited this lake. no word yet on what they found, if anything. we do know the hard drive of their home computer remains missing. they plan on searching this lake

for several more days. our coverage continues on "nightly news" including new results from a new poll showing what a broader group of americans think about donald trump's call to ban muslims entering the united states. lester holt joins us at 5:30. good evening, i'm meteorologist jeff ranieri. activity is beginning to pick up again across the bay area. heavier rains around sunnyvale producing about a half inch mpe hour. headed right to you, san jose. by 5:19. we're tracking this. plus another storm system by this weekend in my microclimate forecast. an arrest in a brutal home invasion/robbery in the east bay. i'm christie smith. coming up, we'll be talking about the tool police say made a big difference in their case. see the joy in their faces and see the energy that shows up and be in that energy with them. it is, i can't tell you how amazing it is. >> the former silicon valley executive drumming his way into the hearts of children with autism.

it's a story that will make you bay area proud. that's next.

♪ great change comes from doing the right thing. like the radical idea that health isn't an industry. it's a cause. so we do things differently. we combine care and coverage. and believe prevention is the most powerful of cures. so forgive us for not going with the flow. we just think the flow should go with us. which makes us rebels with one cause. your health. orinda... tonight, the man accused of pistol-whipping a nanny and then new details in violent home invasion/robbery in orinda. tonight the man accused of pistol whipping a nanny then robbing the home has been arrested. police got the suspect after they found this porsche which was stolen from that orinda home. nbc bay area's christie smith is live in orinda tonight.

quick work by police tonight? >> reporter: yeah, that's right. orinda police say an alert neighbor noticed a suspicious car in the area near where this home invasion took place. police were able to quickly check motion-activated camera. they have about 12 of them installed in the city and they say that made a big difference. >> we're better now that we've heard the good news. >> reporter: karen yim was relieved to hear of the arrest. tuesday an armed man who police say kicked in her door demanding money from the nanny then pistol whipped the woman with the family's 5-year-old daughter just feet away. >> really emotional. unbelievable at first. scary. scared. concerned. >> it was a bit of a shocker. you know, you don't move into orinda and expect this, but i think my wife and i are taking it pretty well for what has happened. >> reporter: the family's porsche similar to this one was stolen in the attack. now the family's taking extra

steps to secure their home. orinda police say a break came when an alert neighbor reported a lexus parked nearby. the department checked a fixed license plate camera police use. >> we reviewed the footage of that camera and narrowed down the timeframe and actually saw and found the white two-door lexus and were able to get a license plate from that picture. >> reporter: that led to oakland where the stolen car was spotted along with the lexus. 18-year-old armani miller was arrested. tonight the family is most concerned about their nanny and daughter. now police say they are investigating whether a second person may have been involved. reporting live in orinda, christie smith, nbc bay area news. >> thank you. the south bay now, there are more than 6,000 homeless people in san jose. today, a memorial for those who have died on the streets. city and community leaders gathered at the home first bacardo center in south san jose. they read the names of each person who has died on the

streets this year. just last week, a homeless man froze to death under an overpass on south first street. our next story is about the power of music to help heal the soul. >> a los gatos man believes it worked for him. he's spreading the healing power. garvin thomas joining us with "bay area proud." we're all ears here. >> raj, as an african-american who started his career in silicon valley, mark farley said he's overcome a few challenges in his life, still even he's in awe of what a challenging life for people with autism can be. just maybe, mark thought, what helped him could help them. >> shake it. >> reporter: it's called a drum circle. first and foremost for the shape the participants at least try to sit themselves in. but when mark farley holds his weekly drum circle at san jose's morgan autism center, the name has a much deeper meaning. >> wow. listen to that. you guys sound great.

>> reporter: for mark has learned whatever magic he creates when his hits the drumskin, well, that always circles right back to him. >> it is, i can't tell you how amazing it is and i am so blessed to be a part of that, be able to do that. >> reporter: mark says music has always been a part of his life. one of the ways he mentally escaped to cope with the troubles and at times abusive upbringing in compton. >> the fantasy world is what allowed me to do that. i could spend hours fantasizing about something, creating something else. >> reporter: what mark ended up creating was quite a life. a father of two with a successful, though demanding career in silicon valley. a career he admits that burned him out. it was picking up the drum just a few years ago that breathed life back into him. >> this is one of those things that will allow some magic to happen in the brain of a person,

whether they're just, you know, dealing with autism or some other thing, or just me, a guy who's burnt out from silicon valley. oh, man, look at you. you're so good. >> reporter: the first few times mark showed up at morgan, he says, just one or two students were brave enough to join him. now, it is clearly one of the highlights of their week. >> i'm just overwhelmed by some of the stuff that i see these kids could do. >> reporter: mark says if it were drumming that lit a spark in him, what he sees and feels here every week is fanning the flames even higher. so much so, he cannot imagine ever stopping the beautiful music they are creating together. >> awesome. all right. >> i want to raise my hands. wonderful thing to see. he really feels this is just the beginning. he feels he's stumbled on to something that's remarkable. he's going to keep doing it as

long as he can and would love to do it more places and have others join in. >> brings them so much joy. music brings happiness to everybody. >> works for everybody. >> thanks, garvin. let's turn things over to chief meteorologist jeff ranieri, under a microweather climate alert. >> roadways are slick tonight. we have the second wave of the system moving through. it's an upper level disturbance. enough uplift at 20,000 to 30,000 feet in the atmosphere it has fired off some thunderstorms throughout this afternoon. we're finding areas of scattered rain again entering marin, napa, sonoma counties. the heaviest right on down toward santa clara, san mateo and also back into alameda county as well. we'll take you down to this line of stronger weather. no lightning strikes right now but producing about .037 an inch per hour, that's a decent moderate to heavy downpour that passed through sunnyvale. it's knocking on your doorstep in downtown san jose. a couple more minutes and see it move in by 5:21 exactly tonight. campbell looking at heavier

rainfall in the next 10 to 15 minutes. milpitas, heavy rainfall. zoom in to the other branch of heavy rainfall. milpitas is getting heavier rainfall, we could see this action by 5:25 tonight. roadways are wet. it's going to be make the visibility worse. oil being brought up on the roadway. the same for the tri valley, the other location with gnarly commute tonight on 580 and 6 80 showing these isolated thunderstorms. we think through tomorrow morning's forecast we'll keep this chance of rainfall. temperatures starting off colder down to 43 in the north bay. san francisco at 50. peninsula, 46. and the south bay at 48. so let's go ahead and timeline this out for you on our future cast. and once again through this evening, the possibility of those spotty showers not only through 7:30, but we'll likely see it continue through 10:00 tonight. it's going to come in waves. we'll see some drying periods then things reignite. we'll likely see that same scenario through about 7:00 in the morning for tomorrow.

after that, we'll gradually try to get in on some clearing through tomorrow, but you still want to keep that umbrella handy through the afternoon. it's not going to be widespread coverage of rainfall. again, a hit and miss shower through 2:30 friday. eventually we'll get a short break for the weekend. overall totals at least from right now through the early morning we're banking on another quarter to a half inch. that even goes for you in san jose. orinda looking at .046. san francisco, .043. santa rosa could pick up another .061 of rainfall. that will also mean another round of impressive sierra snow. check it out in the next 24 hours, maybe another 7 to 10 inches up across the higher elevations. let's go ahead and take you to the microclimate forecast throughout friday. we will get in on the sunshine chance once we head into the afternoon. see here in san jose, 58 degrees for the high. morgan hill 57. it will be jacket weather in place across the peninsula as well. 55 in pacifica. 59 in palo alto. not too much difference here in

san francisco with that cool weather, chance of rain in the morning then some sun breaks by the afternoon. north bay, east bay and also for the tri valley, same thing goes here as well. not too many differences in our microclimates. just plan on those temperatures in the upper 50s. let's go ahead and sum things up for you. we have the storm system this morning, we have some lingering rain impacts through friday morning. we have a weaker storm system by saturday evening. just some spotty showers across the bay area. but it really is by sunday that's when another large area of low pressure will move in for the possibility of maybe another quarter to three quarters of an inch of rainfall. once we get over tomorrow morning, sunday is the next thing everybody looks toward for that next round of some good rain coming our way, you guys. >> very helpful timeline, thank you, jeff. still ahead at 5:00, one day after she made that big announcement about yahoo! ceo marissa mayer makes a bigger announ announcement about her family. plus damage control. what the ceo of chipotle had to

say about the e. coli outbreak linked to the restaurant chain. come on in pop pop.

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but an american icon. tonight -- john madden is recovering after open ar not only a football legend but american icon. tonight john madden is recovering after open heart surgery. doctors released the 79-year-old

madden from a san francisco hospital yesterday after they successfully underwent a procedure to repair blockages. such a colorful part of bay area history. madden coached the raiders in their glory days and led them to a super bowl victory after the 1976 season. the daly city product made a huge impact as a sports broadcaster, many years with us at nbc, and electronic arts with his wildly popular madden video game. damage control for chipotle. the company's founder apologized on national tv today after a second inness outbreak was linked to the restaurant chain. >> i'm sorry for the people who got sick. they're having a tough time, and i feel terrible about that and we're doing a lot to rectify this. >> boston college now says more than 140 of its students became sick with a gastrointestinal illness after eating at a chipot chipotle. it comes after an e. coli outbreak linked to chipotle restaurants across nine states including in california. chipotle is pledging to mandate strict new food safety practices at all of its restaurants.

identical twin girls for yahoo! ceo marissa mayer arrived this morning and she said she will take limited leave. it highlights a parenting difference with other ceos in silicon valley including facebook's mark zuckerberg taking two months of paternity leave after the birth of his daughter. mayer's announcement is no surprise. three years ago after the birth of her son she only took two weeks off and installed a nursery right next to her office. up next, an update on the storm that's rolling through the bay area. stay with us. i'm roy gillham with pg&e.

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but snow in the sierra. this is donner summit. highway weather alert not only here in the bay area but in the sierra. take a look at this. this is donner summit near whiteout conditions. this is highway 50. right now chains are required. same story for interstate 80. we bring in jeff ranieri, our chief meteorologist. we haven't talked about -- >> i know. >> -- these conditions in years especially in the sierras. >> i know. when all is said and done by sunday we're looking at 2 feet across the summit, maybe a little bit more. we want to let viewers know in san jose, heavy rainfall throughout downtown moving toward evergreen by 5:36. we're going to track more of this coming up tonight at 6:00 including a stronger storm system expected by sunday's forecast. so a lot of active weather out

there on the roadways. super slick. take it slow tonight. >> thanks for joining us at 5:00. lester holt joins us next with nightly news. breaking news. fbi divers enter a lake near the scene of a san bernardino terror attack and a family connection is revealed between the killers and the man who bought their gun. trump shock waves. the republican front-runner stands to lose big business over his plan to temporarily ban muslims from the u.s. and he's forced to back out of a trip to israel. what americans really think of the plan in our brand-new poll. breaking his silence for the very first time. former american p.o.w. bowe bergdahl reveals why he abandoned his post and ended up in enemy hands. a runaway train. passengers trapped on an out-of-control boston subway are horrified to find no operator on board as the train passed through station after station. "nightly news" begins right now.