now all of this activity will be pushing off to the south as we head through tonight. by 11:30 we'll see some of this activity over the east bay, peninsula and right down to the south bay, but it's not only rainfall. we are tracking the possibility here of wind gusts, 15-35 small hail and major sierra snow of one to two feet. a timeline as we head through thursday and friday and the weekend forecast in about 20 minutes. >> great, looking forward to it. storm ranger is activated, is tracking the rain right now san bruno mountain. you can track live radar with our app and neighborhood. as i said, lots of other stuff going on. late developing news this afternoon from the centers of

disease control. the center has asked the departme judge's order on masks. this follows mask confusion from b.a.r.t., cal trans and ac transit. within the last few years, the cdc asked the doj to appeal the ruling from the judge overturning the mask mandate. let's drill down on the confusion this has led to. the rules are changing literally by the minute. in the past 15 minutes, b.a.r.t. says it no longer requires masks. we asked alyssa gord to sort it all out for us. >> reporter: at the warm springs transit center in fremont, most passengers are still opting to wear masks on all trains and

buses. >> i think it's a good idea. >> i feel safer with my mask and social distancing. >> reporter: but many transit agencies are shedding the rules. masks are now recommended but not required for employees and passengers on trains and vta and any major bay area airport, but you might want to keep your mask handy, especially if you're moving in between transit agencies. >> very confusing. i feel like they should pick one or the other. >> reporter: while the state of the mask mandate gets ironed out in court, kayla says she'll be relying on lots of different strategies. >> you can go wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, keep your distance, that's up to you, your own person. >> we have that sorted out. but what if you're ride ago rollercoaster? we asked great america about their rules. the park's policy does not

require face coverings, but it does strongly recommend them indoors, whether you're vaccinated or not. it also recommends that guests be fully vaccinated or have a negative test. great america reopens in march. and when we are not on air, you can find the latest covid news on our streaming app. search for nbc bay area. it is april 20th or 4/20 of the and that means cannabis fans are sparking up all over the bay area. most famously on hippie hill in golden gate park. a giant event is back after a two-year pandemic pause. nbc bay area's scott budman is live at the park where things are just wrapping up, scott? >> reporter: hippie hill is

still filled, a giant day for people who like to light up. we had a lot of good music. a lot of snacks, and let me tell you, pounds of weed. it was a big return here in san francisco to a now-legal event. the cheer and the smoke went up at 4:20 on 4/20 day as people parked onto golden gate park's hippie hill for the first time since the pandemic started to light up, hear good music and maybe even hang out with mike tyson, the champ is here promoting his own brand of weed. >> man, we having a ball right now. it's a blast. everybody smoking a lot of weed, smoking joints, bongs, a lot of edibles. i see a lot of vendors over there. >> reporter: for the first time, 4/20 day included legal vendors.

>> it has changed it to a 21 and over event. >> reporter: kristine brought snacks, lots of snacks. >> i've been enjoying cannabis for a very, very long time. and i am so glad that it's out there legally in so many states. >> reporter: not a lot of masks but a whole lot of smoke, as weed lovers turn the park into a hazy but happy community. >> the real reason i'm here is, you know t has been medicine for me for a long time, but mostly, it's for like community rejuvenation, you know. >> reporter: and now that everybody here has been rejuvenated, things are starting to break up. the event essentially ends at 5:00. but events organizers tell me they're already thinking about 4/20 next year. live in san francisco, scott budman, nbc bay area news. >> thank you so much, scott. you might wonder how did 4/20 become the code for smokering

pot. the answer is closer than you may think. after years of competing tales, it appears most historians agree it started with a group of students at san rafael high school in 1971. they have a website telling their story, called 4/20 waldos. they call themselves the waldos because of the wall where they often sat. at 4:20 in the afternoon they'd meet and smoke. they have a documentation dating back to the early 1970s. the u.s. capitol was briefly evacuated this afternoon because of a plane and parachuter seen near the building, but it turns out it was the army parachute team. you're looking live at the capitol. police evacuated the complex just before 4:00 after a plane was seen nearby. capitol police say it was simply miscommunication. the army team was actually parachuting into national park

for military appreciation night. if you look at the center of your screen, you can actually see the parachuters in the distance with those small dots. police have given the all clear at the capitol. mountain view detectives are asking for your help after arresting a man trying to engage with inappropriate behavior with a minor. jared bates was arrested after investigators received a tip about him sending sexually explicit messages to a minor and trying to meet up with a minor. there may be more victims. bates is from colorado and has a criminal history there including charging of child abuse. after serving 32 year in jail for a murder he did not commit, a san francisco man is once again free tonight. joaquin syria walked out of a jail two days after a san francisco judge overturned his

conviction. sergio quintana was outside the jail when he walked out. >> reporter: joaquin syria was greeted by cheers as he walked out of san francisco's main jail after serving three decades in jail for a murder he said he never had anything to do with. he praised courts for reviewing his case. >> in any other country in the world, i might not have got the opportunity. >> reporter: for the first time in 32 years, joaquin is a free man. a judge overturned his murder conviction agreeing that new witness testimony would have compelled a jury not to convict him. he was accused of murdering his friend outside a motel in 1990. among the first to hug him at his release, his 32-year-old son pedro who was six months old when he was arrested.

>> i said i'll be back. >> very surreal, it feels wonderful, hugging him for the first time outside of those walls. >> reporter: syria's case is the latest to be taken up by santa clara university's northern california innocence project. a team of attorneys and law students reviewed the case for two years and forwarded their information to the innocence commission. for syria, he says he's got lots of catching up to do with his friends and son who rushed to jail to see his release. when asked what he wants to do next. >> today, i would like to eat some cuban food. >> reporter: sergio quintana, nbc bay area news. new details in the kristin smart case. she's the cal poly student who

was abducted in 1993. it's moving to monterey county. her body was never found. paul flores is charged with her murder, his father is accused of helping him hide mart's body. in a report, 4,000 students say they were homeless at least one day within the year. that prompted the university to sign an agreement with the student homeless alliance to deal with crisis. the alliance marched across campus before holding a news conference. they say some progress has been made but they say more needs to be done >> we are frustrated to say the least, at the energy and pace given to the thousands of

students experiencing homelessness every year. while we recognize the work done so far in helping bringing temporary solutions, we are challenging them to do more >> we try as best as we can to support those basic needs, but we're going to do better. i've got a meeting tomorrow, i look forward to working with them. >> san jose state also tells us, 213 students said they had some type of housing concern in the last six months of 2021. all of them were given help in some form in emergency housing to financial aid. still ahead, american firefighters on the ground in ukraine. how they're helping people in the war-torn country and the reason this trip was personal for one firefighter from contra costa county. and the desperate plea for people living in mariupol. the reason they say they could only have hours left

and i'm tracking that rain moving in, and we'll continue our earth week coverage. and we'll look at the great barrier reef in ten minutes.

a dire new warning from ukrainians in the port city of mariupol. they warn they are in the final hours and are asking for more help. russia's new offensive has focussed on this eastern portion in the last two days. the new eastern offensive comes after russian troops failed to capture the capital of kyiv, but now mariupol is on the brink of

falling. ukrainian forces are outnumbered and holed up with hundreds of civilians in an old steel plant. u.s. officials say there is clear evidence of vladimir putin's war crimes. >> he does not care about human life. he is turning ukraine into rubble and russia into a prison. >> we're going to see far worse, if that's possible to imagine. >> just today, the u.s. imposed new sanctions on a russian bank and dozens of individuals found to be avoiding economic penalties. president biden met with top military leaders and is preparing another aid package, including heavy artillery. dozens of bodies continue to be discovered as the war in ukraine goes on. a team of u.s. firefighters have joined the recovery effort, including two from the bay area. they spent days searching homes and buildings, hoping to bring closure to families in the war zone >> it's a little different than

responding to a 911 call. this is an act of war going on. i've never seen that before. >> reporter: for the past week, this region was the heart of the war zone between russia and ukraine. >> you've got a drone. >> reporter: today, scenes of first responders from around the world walking through the rubble, searching for bodies. among those searching, a firefighter with the contra costa county fire protection district. >> i was born in ukraine. i have family here still. and ever since the war started, it's been a little heavy on the heart, just seeing what's going on, on the news, and wishing i could be there to help. >> reporter: a few weeks ago, he signed up with the firefighters united task force for a rescue and rye discovery mission. thanks to his brother who still lives in ukraine, the entire team was able to cross the

border with vans and all their equipment. once in ukraine they were escorted into kyiv. >> they've been very welcoming, very appreciative of us being here. >> reporter: that's when their mission began. this sunday, they recovered two bodies, including a man they say was yelling for help for two days. >> nobody was able to help him because forces were in that area. and he pretty much suffered because he was buried in the collapse of his own home. >> reporter: they've also been training other firefighters and trauma techniques. david says he and his team are aware of the dangers, including the looming nuclear threat. this morning, russia test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. >> we do have a plan to get out as soon as possible. >> reporter: he hope it is doesn't come down to that. the plan is to stay there until at least next week, trying to offer closure for those who have suffered so much.

p. >> love your loved ones. hold them closer. warrior is not fun. appreciate what you have. don't take anything for granted. two shootings on the same block less than 24 hours apart. around 10:00 this morning, officers got a call about a shooting on 83rd avenue. skyranger was overhead. police couldn't find anyone who had been shot but did find bullet holes in the building. just yesterday, a man was shot on the same block. no word how he's doing or if the shootings are connected. in san francisco, matt haney has declared himself the winner of the state assembly race. he held a victory party saying that he was leading by 27%. mayor london breed endorsed haney and will choose his successor. one of his key on the campaign

was building more sustainable housing. all week long we've been exploring climate week. no one knows more about that and jeff ranieri. what are we looking at today? >> i'm focussing in on a coral reef, and, you know, back here in the bay area, a lot of us may be thinking why do i even care about that. but there is a global connection to those and what we should be paying attention to. as we continue our climate coverage on earth week, i want to start it in the bay air why and take you on a free trip to australia. hang tight. let's go ahead and get this map moving, and, as many of you know, right off the coastline of australia is the great barrier reef, which is one of the world's largest sources of coral reef. more than 2900 reefs located there, but unfortunately, the temperatures have been running five to eight degrees warmer.

and it is causing coral damage. 50% coral loss has been experienced. let me show you what the coral reef looks like when it's healthy. but with the weather temperatures, something happens which is called coral bleaching. you see it goes to a white color. that is the coral starting to die. so if we continue with these warmer temperatures, the coral would continue to die. and many other species may face extinction. but specifically, here, in california and the rest of the globe, why should we care? we talked about the millions of species that live there. that of course is important. anywhere you have coral reefs it provides beach erosion protection but millions depend on it for food and jobs. medical research is coming from

those reefs. this is very, very vital and important to us. hid head to nbcbayarea.com and click on the climate section. not only rainfall, isolated lightning chances. wind gusts 15-35 and rough surf, eight to 12 feet. we're beginning to see the first bands of rainfall moving over the north bay pushing to the north and east. it's going to pick up rainfall in petaluma by 6:01 tonight. as we head through this evening, by 11:30 we anticipate the rain over the eastbay. i sigh more rain starting to return with isolated pockets. it may seem like we're under a little bit of a break by 11 1:00

tomorrow. but as we continue through thursday night we'll keep the chance of rainfall, eventually clearing it out as we roll into friday. rainfall totals on this look like this. half for the peninsula. and about a half inch down toward the south bay. that half inch in san jose is dependent on thunderstorms. if we don't get them, the totals will be less. check out the seven-day forecast. we're going to clear it out as we roll into the weekend. 67 by sunday in san francisco and through the inland valleys, we are up to 79 on sunday's forecast. just what we need as i've been saying, to continue to push that fire season, that fire danger back weeks and weeks. >> and when you look longer range, are we still seeing more in or too early to tell? >> looking out a few weeks from now, there might and few spotty

chances. you can believe it. an air quality report with the touch of a button. the new feature google is rolling out to help you find the best air quality around you. are you looking to renovate your kitchen or bathroom? i'm mike holmes here with ivan from agm renovations thanks mike! too often, homeowners hire the wrong contractor. ivan, i see this all the time. delays, shortcuts, hidden fees - nightmares. at agm we use the top trades, and each project is finished on time, on budget, backed by a five year warranty. that's why agm are the only kitchen and bathroom renovation specialists i recommend. ♪ agmrenovations.com ♪ [announcer] call now and get $3,000 off!

(music throughout) ♪ agmrenovations.com ♪ this is elodia. she's a recording artist.

1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. i'm dan o'dowd and i approved this message. you are watching actual videos of the tesla full self driving technology as recorded by the drivers. from turning too tightly and hitting a pylon... [ expletive ] to swerving toward a pole. jesus. watch the bicyclist on the right almost get hit before the driver takes over. sometimes it seems the tesla doesn't want the driver to take over. i'm trying. this driver had to hit the brakes when the tesla didn't understand a detour sign. ok. here it almost hit a truck.

obviously, i had to take over. and here it swerves into an oncoming lane. look at that! often, the tesla doesn't know what it wants to do. what is it doing? or just doesn't know how to turn. jesus, oh my god! tesla's full self driving software for drivers and pedestrians, it's unsafe at any speed. tell congress to shut it down. google is rolling out an update to its search feature, starting today, when you search air pollution near me, you'll get a result. you can search by city. the company first rolled this out in india last month. today marks its debut in the u.s. britain's prince harry has been a california resident for two years now, but he's enjoying a visit to london.

he's there for the invictus games, a sports competition he founded for wounded service members and veterans. while there, he and his wife meghan met with the queen, elizabeth turns 96 years old tomorrow, but harry tells hoda kotb in an exclusive interview that his grandmother is a bit tired of birthdays. >> she's had a few jubilees now. every one is slightly different. >> do you think you'll come? >> i don't know. there's lots of things, security issues and everything else. this is what i'm trying to do, try to make it possible. >> the queen's platinum jubilee, marking 70 years of service will be in early june. still ahead, a martial ellipse from nasa's mars rover. the video you have to see from the red planet.

nasa's mars rover captured video of a solar eclipse on the red planet. it took this video of one of the moons of mars crossing the face of the sun. mars has two moons. nasa says videos like this can

help scientists better understand the orbit of the martian moons and how its gravity affects mars. >> what an incredible capture. >> my big takeaway, i guess maybe i learned it at one point, i didn't know mars had two moons. i should have. that was in my education somewhere. >> that's a good point. didn't know that either. what i took away is it looked like someone bit out of the sun. it's really cool. right now, warning. final hours in asking for more help. the plea from a key city in ukraine. >> brave ukrainians deserve nothing than every tool, every weapon to win this war. >> the new aid and sanctions promised by president biden. netflix is doing the right thing and it's going to cost us. the changes that could affect your account. they have been decat