ground.. by strong winds. and one bay area homeonwer - i thought it was an

earthquake. because when it hit the house, it was a big bang. >> a giant tree ripped out of the ground by strong winds. one bay area home owner left with a giant mess on his hands. a massive pine crashed into one home in san bruno. despite the damage, anne makovec tells us that the family got some good news today. >> i didn't think it was that old that it would fall down. >> reporter: but this 100-foot- tall pine tree did come down at 5 a.m. right under the roof of the torres family home. >> i thought it was an earthquake because when it hit the house, it was just a big bang. and then i ran out towards the front. i looked out and i saw something and i turned around and looked in the kitchen area and it was just -- oh, no. >> reporter: he came into the kitchen to find it full of insulation and sheetrock. the family got one piece of good news today. the city inspector came this morning and said they can still live in the house while it's being repaired. they just need to stay out of

the kitchen. as for the fence, ripped out of the ground and the roof damaged to an unknown extent, eric says it will all be fix the once he hears from his insurance company and in the future, he may invest a bit more in landscaping. >> we were going to have it cut down this summer but it never happened. and then, no... now we're having it cut. >> reporter: in san bruno, anne makovec, cbs. wind can cause some trouble. tracy how long will this last? >> they will be gusty throughout the day. here's a live look toward the embarcadero and take a look at that flag. it's whipping and waving. so gusty conditions expected through the afternoon. let's take a look at some of those highest wind gusts we have had since midnight. look at those sustained winds. oakland international airport, winds sustained at 23 miles per hour out of the northwest. sfo up to 28, as well. 26 inverness and foster city, winds out of the west at 47.

that was as of the previous hour. again, those gusts slightly higher than that. for this afternoon. wind buy and cold and still a chance of showers in the forecast, windy and cold. so it's going to be a cold blustery day. and for tonight, temperatures dropping down to the 30s. we'll take a look at the overnight lows in just a few moments. >> all right. thank you. crews are scrambling to clean up debris caused by last night's rain and those gusty winds this morning. sharon chin has more on the storm damage. reporter: heavy wind and rain triggered mud slides all around the bay area. crews stayed busy in castro valley the biggest mess a joined boulder blocking palomares road at palos verde. in san mateo county devil's slide re-opened at 5:30. a massive mud slide closed the roads since last night. mud wasn't the only problem.

high winds toppled trees. in san francisco, a tree crashed on a car on the 3900 block of sacramento street. no one was in the car and no one was injured. police closed the street to traffic to clean up the debris. and in brisbane, a wind whipped tree hit a power line and plunged the parking lot at a elementary school. no one was hurt. school was out for winter break. as far as power outages, pg&e said 5400 customers still in the dark early this morning have electricity back. but there are fewer than 300 customers still without electricity at this hour. they are expected to get their power back later on today. most of them are in fremont. in alameda county, sharon chin, cbs 5. a person was killed in santa rosa when a tree fell on her tent at a preserve. the tree fell during the rain

last night. the victim is 70-year-old gail falkers. she was visiting the park with her granddaughter staying in a luxury park tent. safari west has no comment yet. the search may be over for a missing skier from fresno. deputies recovered a body yesterday near the slope at the china peak ski resort where eli shelby went missing monday. the 29-year-old was skiing with a friend but never returned to his car. so far, the storm system and mountainous terrain have kept authorities from identifying the victims. high wind was a factor in an accident at a popular ski resort. this was in maine. at least 8 people including three children were hurt when part of a ski left collapsed yesterday at sugarloaf. five chairs plummeted to the ground. one woman fell almost 20 feet. she hit her head in the fall but was not seriously hurt.

>> it was the entire mechanism that fell, the whole cable and chair fell. i checked myself over and made sure that i was okay. and then i realized that there probably were people who needed my help. >> about a dozen uninjured skiers spent about an hour on the lift until they were rescued. the lift was shut down earlier in the day because of strong winds in the area but was determined later to be safe. police are investigating a robbery at a marijuana grow allows in san jose. two people were wounded one of them an officers. elizabeth wenger reports. >> reporter: police say the complicated chain of events started as a home invasion robbery at this house on a dead end of locust street in downtown san jose at 11 p.m. tuesday night. police say it is a marijuana grow house. >> very quiet around here, unexpected. >> reporter: a neighbor who didn't want his face on camera woke up to police everywhere. >> we woke up in the morning

here to all this commotion and now it makes it feel like something even bigger, you know, since this has been going on all night. >> reporter: police say the robbery victims called 911 but the suspects fled. in another indent two men were arrested by san jose police not far away. minutes later also nearby, at first and reed, police spotted another man who matched a suspect description. as officers made contact, he jumped into a car driven by a woman. >> the vehicle sped towards the officers. one of the officers was able to discharge his firearm at the vehicle in order to attempt to stop the immediate threat. >> the suspect was shot in the leg and the officer hurt his knee. both injuries are not considered life-threatening. >> we're trying to determine whether or not all these cases are connected or two separate indents with two separate suspects. >> reporter: in san jose,

elizabeth wenger cbs 5. >> police are searching for a 22-year-old man from east palo alto. they have released this picture. anyone with any information is asked to call the police. coming up, rescue crews on the hunt for a missing snowboarder in the sierra. what's making their search so challenging. plus, the rebel pilot who exposed security flaws at sfo speaks out defending his actions. >> plus the nightmare continues for thousands of travelers stranded by the east coast snowstorm. how much longer it will take to get everything back on track. ,,,,

you inhale, they inhale. millions of children continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke. secondhand smoke causes asthma, a disease that cannot be cured. protect your loved ones.

chris liu is a pilot for american airlines. he held the pilot who exposed security flaws at sfo has now gone public. chris liu is a pilot for american airlines. he held a news conference yesterday at the sacramento airport. it was an attempt to silence his critics. they attacked him after he posted videos on youtube last month highlighting ground crews at sfo entering secure areas without screening. when the tsa objected, liu took them down but now says he had no idea that the videos would cause such an uproar. >> this was never about being famous for me. this was about aviation security. >> the tsa is now investigating liu. the pilot's attorney is calling on congress to investigate. more flights are getting back on track but some passengers in the northeast are still stranded after sunday's

blizzard. travel officials say it could be new year's before everyone gets home. during the storm, more than 7,000 flights were cancelled across the country. at new york's laguardia airport, hundreds of passengers are just waiting to get on a plane. >> found out that now they rescheduled my 6:00 -- 6 a.m. flight that was supposed to leave this morning for thursday. >> take it one day at a time. pretend like it's some expedition like we are going on a camping trip. >> as if that's not bad enough, some passengers are facing a different nightmare. at least three flights at kennedy airport were stuck on the tarmac up to 10 hours. that's because all the gates were being used at the time. and as if those delays weren't bad enough how about those travelers? they are going to have to pay even more the next time they fly. several carriers including united, delta, american and continental, are raising fares on domestic flights by $10 each way. the increase comes as fuel

prices shoot up again. it takes effect immediately. how much is that dog in the window? [ barking ] >> the answer may surprise you. the big incentive to give these abandoned pets a good home. and winds continue to whip outside. take a look at this shot at the ocean beach coastline there it is. and look at the winds. still bobbing just a bit there. it's going to be an issue all day long and will make it feel cold today and frigid tonight. we'll look at the cooler temperatures and your new year's eve forecast coming up. ,,,,,,

dentures are softer than teeth. and a lot of people, when they get a denture, they think the best way to clean it is by brushing it with toothpaste. toothpaste contains abrasives that scratch dentures, leaving microscopic crevices where bacteria can grow, and bacteria can cause bad breath. the best way to go is to soak them in polident. only polident is proven to clean without scratching and kills 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria. i recommend using polident and soak every day. it's the right way to go.

25-year-old shawnte marie willis apparent these search is on for a missing snowboarder at a lake tahoe resort. the 25-year-old got separated from friends yesterday afternoon at alpine meadows. she was last seen going through a ski boundary sign near the top of an advanced slope. search crews are still looking for her but those snowy conditions have been making it difficult. all that snow is adding up in the sierra. the state department of water resources describes the first snow survey of the season as phenomenal. water content well above 100%

of normal for the northern sierra. nick janes reports from blue canyon. >> reporter: hello from a surprisingly calm and dare i say pleasant blue canyon? after all, the sun is out. but these big snowbanks are evidence of the big storm that rolled through here earlier this morning. i want to take you through the morning up here. this is in the 5:00 hour. the snow was coming downside ways. we had lots of gusting winds in excess of 40 miles an hour, at least at the highest elevations. the roads were a wreck, covered in snow and ice. and as you might expect, there were a number of spinouts and minor crashes, nothing serious. we hit the snow about 5,000 feet in the sierras. the rain, though, especially around 3,000 feet, was bad enough that we were hydroplaning around and in the snow we were sliding around. so it was a treacherous drive for folks up here. by mid-morning, plows were coming through getting everything cleared. the snow tapered off and since then, it's actually been nice up here. the wind died down, the snow has stopped for now.

but to give you some perspective about how much we have up here, the sierra snowpack already at 200% of normal. and winter is just starting. it's going to be a wild season up here. bet the ski resorts are celebrating all that snow so far. in blue canyon, california, i'm nick janes. >> the skiers and snowboarders, too. tracy, the wind may have died down in the mountains but not down here. >> no. you're right. it is still gusty out there. let's take a look at those winds. oakland, winds gusting as high as 38 miles an hour. also looking at some decent wind gusts at sfo. that was at the top of the hour. 43. inverness at 38 and foster city near the san mateo bridge, 63. that is since midnight. that's not been within the past 2 to 3 hours. look at sustained winds. 47 miles per hour? yeah. that's going to be an issue today. gusty winds, chilly temperatures, cold! here's a look at the hi-def doppler. and we do still have some light scattered showers out there especially out in the east bay. and just along the coastline. are we going to keep those

light scattered showers in the forecast for the afternoon, yes. here's the satellite and radar showing the cold front as it came through and boy it meant business. heavy rainfall at times, gusty winds moving through. and back behind that we will continue to be windy through the day. and it's going to feel a little cold. that colder air mass cooling us down. for tonight it's going to be frigid. this afternoon, windy and cold. still a slight chance of showers. highs today in the lower to the mid-50s. for tonight, patchy frost expected well inland. temperatures 32 to 37 degrees. 37 to 42 around the bay with gusty winds expected as well as for the coastline. 38 to 43. we do have a gale warning in effect during the day. winds along the coast up to about 54 miles an hour. here's a look at some cold lows just above freezing in livermore with 33 in the overnight hours tonight. 34 in concord. 33 in fairfield as well as in napa. 40 oakland. 37 fremont.

37 san jose. 41 in san francisco. and 42 in pacifica. brrr! sierra forecast, winter storm warning still in effect until 4 p.m. thursday a 20% chance of snow showers. partly cloudy conditions expected for friday. here's a look at our five-day forecast. still a small chance of showers tomorrow. around 20%. after that, friday we will have another chance of rainfall back in the bay area as well as saturday. then sunday a few leftover showers, as well. monday some sunshine in there as well as tuesday. temperatures expected to be in the upper 50s as we move to the beginning and also temperatures expected to be in the lower 50s for our overnight lows. happy new year, do you have plans? chance of rainfall. we have some fireworks expected for pier 14. but i'm sure how that's going to go off. chance of rainfall expected around midnight with temperatures from 40 to 47 degrees. that's a look at your weather. for your traffic, here's liz. >> thanks, tracy. -- that's a look at your weather. back to you, grace.

>> i think i have to work out more. i was trapped by the wind it was so blowing so hard against the door. any advice? >> got none! [ laughter ] >> well, at least your the forecast for us. thanks a lot, tracy. times square is getting ready for a new year's eve party. crews having putting up the stage, setting up barriers and testing the confetti that will be thrown. they tossed some out of the window of this office building today. millions will crowd into manhattan to see that crystal ball drop on friday night. if you are celebrating new year's eve here in the bay area, you can get a free ride. muni trains and buses in san francisco will be free from 8 p.m. on new year's eve in until 6 a.m. on new year's day. caltrain is offering free rides after 11 p.m. on new year's eve. and bart will keep running until 3 a.m. on saturday. coming up, big trouble brewing at bay area kennels and animals' lives are at stage.

the big incentive to get you to help right now as animals' lives are at stake. coming up. test ,, dentures are softer than teeth. and a lot of people, when they get a denture, they think the best way to clean it is by brushing it with toothpaste. toothpaste contains abrasives that scratch dentures, leaving microscopic crevices where bacteria can grow, and bacteria can cause bad breath. the best way to go is to soak them in polident. only polident is proven to clean without scratching and kills 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria. i recommend using polident and soak every day.

it's the right way to go.

today's tip of the day is

corn. it's not in abundy dance now like august and september or half by through october where it's inexpensive like eight ears for a buck sometimes. corn is more expensive than that but the quality is still good. but you have to select it and store them right this time of year because if you don't, they are going to be so starchy because once corn gets picked, the sugar starts turning into starch within four or five days. buy them and enjoy them right a way. they are sold by the piece. so get the biggest ones. in the market peel it back look at the corn. all the kernels, plump, free from drying at all. at home in the refrigerator and enjoy them quickly. sweet corn for the holidays, for anytime in december, it's a must. and i'm tony tantillo, your fresh grocer. and always remember to eat fresh and stay healthy.

but make sure you find a garbage can to throw this away. sometimes customers do that, markets don't like it. so throw it away. i got buy this one now, bye. [ laughter ] >> that's right, don't leave it behind. san jose's animal care center has no more room. they are hoping that their latest promotion will lead to a lot of adoptions. the shelter is allowing people to name their price if they want to adopt a dog who is over 6 months old. the regular adoption fee is $115. the shelter may lose money on some adoptions but say they are willing to drop the price because there are just so many dogs who need a good home. >> we usually have about 350 animals a month. that's our average. and lately we have been getting 650 dogs coming in a month which is just tremendous. >> right now, the shelter is over capacity and many dogs are being kept two to a kennel. why are there so many dogs? well, one theory is because of

the downturn in the economy and high foreclosure rates. animal shelter officials say some owners just cannot take their pets with them. also an extra cost, you know, for the vet bills and the food. so if you can do it, adopt a pet. >> looking at that video i wish i could keep more but i don't have the room for it. but i wish i could. >> i thought about adopting a second one. >> we have to say good-bye. >> despite all the windy weather. >> yeah. it's going to be windy through tonight so bundle up. >> have a great day. ,, ,