this moves through is tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night. tomorrow night it's the east and the south bay. it's exciting and it's very exciting until somebody gets hurt. this is a wintry mix. it's wind, sleet, ice, it's snow and also wet. the high definition doppler is showing us that we have fairly good cells of rain that's moving into the north bay. in fact bay wide we only picked up a tenth to 1500 .15"" coming. we'll have more in the weather segment. >> thank you. the north bay hills and mountains's said already covered by a winter weather advisory. simon perez live in saint helena where they could be the first to see the snow. simon. >> reporter: allen, indeed. if it is going to snow anywhere it's likely to happen here in the north bay first. in downtown saint helena, nothing but rain all day a lot of rain but the people who live here know what's coming.

>> i think people are taking it in stride and a lot are enjoying the idea that it might actually snow. >> reporter: at steve's hardware store, the snow prep business is going well. >> we have been selling some scoop shovels and some salt for driveways as you just saw. couple of gentlemen left with two or three heaters which we have been selling pretty well. >> reporter: a closer look shows customers are having to make do. these aren't for shoveling snow. they are for shoveling dirt. but so what? they work. as for melting the snow, this salt will work, too. but it's actually meant for softening water. you're out of luck if you still need fabric to protect your plants. another big seller, flashlights. this shelf was empty just yesterday. a new shipment came in this morning. so no shovels, no salt. >> yeah. no. no. [ laughter ] >> we live on a little private road at 400 feet and i don't think we'll have issues. even if we do, it will be fun. >> reporter: across the bay area, caltrans reports it has crews ready to deal with the snow on the roads.

plows and sanders are standing by in the north bay and the south bay. in fact, some of those crews are already at work trying to keep the roads clear of snow. this video from last weekend is of highway 17 in the santa cruz mountains. if there is snow it will likely fall on these mountains here in northern napa county. >> my girlfriend's son was like snow, yes, we're going to go play! >> reporter: a lot of people rolled their eyes at us when we told them we were doing a snow preview story. ah, we can handle. that still, it's going to be scrolled and even if it doesn't snow much, there is a lot of rain so cold and wet roads also make it difficult to drive even if there is no snow you should still be careful. >> i was thinking of the black ice that we see in other parts of the country. we could get that, too. >> reporter: indeed. >> simon perez, thank you. a lot of viewers have been sending us pictures from the last time it snowed at sea level in the bay area. snows covering campbell in

1975. nice porsche! this photo comes from leon. these are students outside vallejo high in 1976 enjoying the snow. and bonnie submitted this one. this is of the front of her house in the cambrian park of san jose. bonnie says she took the day off from school that day just because, well, it snowed. and you can send your photos to mypix@cbs5.com. and this next storm is going to deliver a lot of snow to the sierra as you might expect. the mountains expected to get several more feet of snow before the end of the week. and they have a lot. snow levels could also drop down to locations such as grass valley we are told and colfax. you can track the storm from start to finish on cbssf.com. click on weather for access to the interactive hi-def doppler. you can see where it's raining and snowing all across northern california. a bay area family grieving the loss of their child is now dealing with another traumatic event. this involves the family whose son died in a rafting accident

last weekend. today they came home and found more trouble. juliette goodrich has more on what is a heartless, heartless crime. juliette. >> reporter: yeah, neighbors saying it certainly is cold and heartless. friends and family have been stopping by the miller home in walnut creek all day today to pay their respects because the memorial was today. and also a locksmith is here and the walnut creek police department. that's because while the miller family was at a memorial for their 16-year-old son matthew, their home was robbed and ransacked and a window was smashed in by the front door. police believe it did happen while the family was at the memorial and then they came home to the unthinkable a home broken into. over the weekend, matthew miller and his friend gavin powell went missing afternoon they were in a raft going down an engorged stream after the weekend's heavy rains. volunteers were searching the waterways and then early sunday afternoon, the raft and the bodies of the boys had been found miles downstream. investigators believe debris may have punctured the raft. the creek's depth can actually

vary from 2 to 15 feet in storms with a fast-moving current. the memorial for matthew happened today and maybe that's when the home was broken into. neighbors say that this is a very quiet walnut creek street here, allen. they think maybe someone on foot broke in. really a crime of opportunity on just such a troubling and heart breaking day. >> i'm sure that they will have someone at the house from now on whenever they leave. >> reporter: absolutely. yes. >> all right, juliette goodrich in walnut creek, thanks. a bizarre case in the north bay where a body is discovered under a newly constructed barbecue pit in novato. neighbors say that the man who lives there with his wife has been missing for months. don knapp is there with who police are now calling a person of interest in this case. don? >> reporter: that's right, allen. investigators are continuing their work in the backyard of this house at 4 rebecca way here in novato. they have been working all day and as we know from stories last night, they began their work last night. what they are doing now is

trying to shore up the sides of an excavation so they can remove the body thought to have been in the ground in six months. they want to bring it out in as good a condition as they can. inside the house, investigators are also conducting a search. novato police and fbi crews worked throughout the day in the backyard of this east novato home digging and sifting soil. late yesterday, digging revealed a body buried about 4 feet down. >> there was a brook pavers, patio over the top of the area and then obviously underneath the brick patio there was several feet of dirt. >> reporter: the cause of the death is not yet known. >> too early to determine that. that will be determined once we remove the remains and have the coroner's office do their autopsy. >> reporter: police say discussions with dale smith's wife evelyn led them to the backyard grave. her attorney says smith is cooperating. >> we did authorize the search of the backyard. i authorized that on saturday. we would have authorized the search of the home today but

they wanted to get a search warrant. >> reporter: a search warrant because the police now say that the property is a crime scene. >> one of the neighbors approached me back around thanksgiving and mentioned that when was the last time i saw dale? and i had mentioned to her, it was probably two months back. and then she approached me again in january and said, you know, i was just talking to evelyn and i'm concerned because she is talking about dale in the past tense. >> reporter: uphill neighbor rebecca smith not related to evelyn or dale smith eventually contacted police and filed a missing person's report. rebecca said when she asked evelyn what happened to dale's old blue pickup truck evelyn said she donated it because dale used to support the veterans using the past tense. >> obviously the fact that the body is in the ground, they were covered up, we'll try to -- part of our investigation will be to determine why that may be the case. >> reporter: first step in all of this is for the coroner to identify the body and then determine whether he or she and they don't know the sex yet, whether he or she died of natural causes.

allen? >> all right, don knapp in novato, thank you. well, we have some live pictures, this breaking news now. chopper 5 is in the air because a major backup is hang on eastbound 80. this is following a motorcycle crash near the bay bridge toll plaza. again the backup is incredible. the crash happened just before 4:00. the accident itself has been cleared, but clearly you can tell traffic is backed up for miles into downtown san francisco. no word on whether the rain played any factor in the crash. other bay area headlines, no evidence of arson in last year's piedmont lumberyard fire in walnut creek. that's according to contra costa county fire investigators who have now officially closed the case without determining exactly how that fire started. the fire in march caused more than $6 million in damage. now, in san francisco today, opponents of pg&e's smartmeter program told state utility leaders why they don't want the devices in their neighborhoods.

protestors said that they are worried about electromagnetic fields. stopsmartmeters.org is the group. they have already gotten dozens of complaints from people in communities that already have smartmeters. those complaints are about dizziness, headaches, nausea. pg&e says the meters are safe. two, one, booster ignition... >> discovery blasts off on its final voyage. what fell off the space shuttle right after liftoff. the latest trend in the beverage world. a slew of new drinks promising a better night's sleep, but does it come at a cost? is it. no, not the alfred hitchcock classic. the bay area neighborhood, though, being taken over by birds. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

apparently 10 days of unrest is taking its toll on libyan leader moammar qaddafi. rebels have taken over large parts of libya. the number of dead is rising as the government tries to fight back. today qaddafi made a phone call to state-run television saying that al qaeda drugged libya's young people so they would

fight against him. security experts say qaddafi's four decade long grip on the country is loosening. >> if he doesn't have tribal allegiance and doesn't have control of the military and if he doesn't have control of the oil, he is going out. >> americans still in the country will have to wait until tomorrow to evacuate. apparently government chartered ferries were delayed again by weather. small earthquake rattled hawaii an hour ago. the 3.3 magnitude quake was centered 80 miles southeast of honolulu. no damage, no threats of a tsunami apparently but meantime, hopes are fading fast for hundreds still missing after that major quake in new zealand. so far, 113 people are confirmed dead, 228 still missing. no survivors have been found since yesterday afternoon. however, crews are starting to expand their search area. officials say there have been more than 40 aftershocks since the first quake. damage estimates are as high as

$12 billion. some drama after liftoff for space shuttle discovery this afternoon. >> we have main engine start. 2, 1, booster ignition and the final liftoff of discovery... >> shortly after take-off from kennedy space center, some foam fell off the exterior fuel tank of the shuttle. now, nasa is saying that should not pose a risk. this is discovery's 39th and final voyage. the shuttle bringing hardware to the international space station. the six-member crew will be in space for 11 days. nasa retiring the entire shuttle fleet by the end of the year. couple of bucks for a guaranteed good night's sleep? >> i think everyone in this world is stressed and they need it. so i know i do. >> tonight, the concerns with this so-called anti-energy drink.

it affects more than two million toyotas. the problem causing the company's latest recall. it's cold, it's wet and it's going to stay that way for a while in the bay area. looks like we have a chance of snow moving in. winds will be picking up, rain will be coming down. oh, my gosh, it's everything as we look through a glass wetly at the transamerica pyramid. we'll have a wild, wintry mix forecast after a break. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

it's really delicious, mom. it's not too well done? nope. but it is a job well done. what are you reading, sweetie? her diary. when you're done, i'd love some feedback. sure.

your mom and i read that thing cover-to-cover. loved it. thanks. would you mind if i cut the lawn this weekend? only if you let me talk to your mother on the phone for hours on end. done. [ male announcer ] u-verse brings peace to the family. at&t u-verse lets you record four shows at once from any room and play them back on any tv. get u-verse tv for only $29 a month for 6 months. in the network, everyone can get along. new kids on the block at convenience stores, grocery stores and pharmacies. move over, energy drinks. some new kids on the block at convenience stores, grocery stores, even pharmacies. on the healthwatch dr. kim mulvihill looks at new relaxation drinks. >> reporter: you might call them the anti-red bull. they are loaded with natural relaxants and the promise of easier sleep. but are they a good idea?

reporter: the names conjure up the image, chill and dream water. the ingredients vary. some have valerian, rose hips and small amounts of a natural hormone called melatonin. >> one of the main ingredients is melatonin, that helps with sleep. it's a hormone that we produce. as we age, we produce less of it. >> reporter: a couple of grad students taste tested the drinks for us. they liked dream water better and both said it's a product concept that appeals to them. >> i think everyone in this world is stressed and they need it, and i know i do. >> reporter: the drinks sell for $2 to $3 apiece. >> you can get, you know, seven hours of sleep for two bucks, i think it's worth the price. >> reporter: one published study found a bedtime cocktail that included melatonin, zinc and magnesium improved quantity and quality of sleep. but some experts say insomnia is due to so many different

factors, more research is needed. >> even though they might be helpful for some people, might not be harmful for most people, there is still not a lot of research that shows either way. >> reporter: 40 new drinks were introduced last year alone. can a relaxation drink put you to sleep in maybe? better than a cup of chamomile tea? that's not clear. many contain lots of sugar and many have safety labels that warn consumers they shouldn't drive after drinking them order mix them with alcohol. >> seems like the sugar would counteract the melatonin. >> reporter: maybe. you have to love the names. vacation in a bottle? >> could use that. thank you. shelters in the south bay going to be open this weekend when temperatures are expected to reach below freezing. ten shelters opening on saturday and sunday in san jose as refuge from the freezing cold because it is going to get cold. let's go to brian hackney in the weather center and find out the details of what's ahead.

>> reporter: all right. allen, as we look outside, no surprise it's wet and that liquid precip will probably turn freezing over the next 24 to 36 hours. tonight things are not going to be that cold at least not yet but it has already begun to rain. the rain fell before sunrise this morning. there is a line of showers moving through with the doppler radar and that line of showers is going to push south so off and on again tonight we are going to be looking for some rain. winds will not be a huge factor but you can see a line of showers right there. otherwise it looks like a green mattress exploded over the bay area. it's rain baywide but not that much. we picked up a fifth of an inch of rain and as we look at the south bay we see more of the same. for tonight, clouds and showers, temperatures will only be in the 40s. we are not going to hit record lows tonight. that will be tomorrow. it's all being powered by low pressure that's from the puget sound up in washington state. you can see this front extend offering shore tapping moisture

out in the pacific. the rain is not factor, it's the cold. and it's the cold front that's around the california/oregon border. that's going to press south and then we are going to lower the snow level so the winter weather advisories are posted in the north bay mountain down to as low as about 1500, 2,000 feet. that would put a dusting on top of mount tamalpais to a depth of about 6." mount diablo will probably get some snow overnight possibly. but it's when this moves out that we really lower the temperatures around the bay area and then tomorrow, the numbers drop like a set of car keys. we may hit record lows by friday night. by saturday morning, the snow level will be below 1,000 feet. that means snow on mount tam, mount diablo, mount hamilton, skyline boulevard. it means all the peaks circling the bay will be getting a dusting within 36 hours. for tonight, these are not record lows. it will be chilly. it's going to be wet. temperatures in the mid-30s to low 40s. lows are not the story.

it's the snow and the potential for that peaks tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow evening. and then we are going to be looking for things to get wet again midweek next week. everything will clear out by later on saturday but by tuesday and wednesday, more coming in. we'll have more details on when we cover the weather again at 6:00 tonight. >> thank you. well, they say it's like a scene out of hitchcock's movie "the birds." but it's right in the bay area. thousands of squawking flapping seagulls making san jose's almaden valley their home. the number of birds exploded since this past november. where do they come from? how do you get rid of them? no one is really sure. all right. coming up on the consumerwatch, their commercials promise to reduce your back taxes by negotiating with the government. >> well, now the government is taking them to court. we'll have that story and more coming up after the break. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

the automaker is recalling than two million vehicles de. a massive new round of recalls by toyota. the automaker recalling more than 2 million vehicles nationwide. now, the problem this time? gas pedals that can get jammed in the floor mats or carpeting. the automaker is adding three models to earlier recalls. it would be the forerunner suv,

the rav-4 compact suv and the lexus lx-570. growing number of taxpayers is struggling to pay back taxes. so today the irs announced it is going to make it easier for delinquent taxpayers through a series of free programs. a not so free tax negotiation company is being sued in report in. on the consumerwatch, julie watts with th details. >> reporter: you may have seen the commercials for american tax relief promising to cut your tax debt and settle with the government once and for all. well, many say they were making promises they couldn't keep while keeping consume more than any and now the federal trade commission wants them to pay. >> that's a bunch of baloney. garbage. reporter: nick fiori still can't believe he paid a tax relief company $5,500 to settle his tax debt with thers. >> we can settle your tax debt for a fraction of what you owe. >> reporter: he saw this ad from american tax relief on tv and called the number immediately. nick, who owes more than $60,000 to the irs, says he was

desperate for help. >> i thought it was legit. but it isn't legit in any way, shape or form. i got took. >> reporter: according to the federal trade commission, american tax relief is a scam. the government is going after the company and the $60 million it allegedly swindled from its customers. >> these people don't really have any particular ability to deal with irs issues. they can't get people off the hook. >> how can i help you? >> reporter: attorneys general from various states are receiving complaints as well as the bbb. they tell consumerwatch most of the complaints stem from big fees and broken promises them. say the best way to get tax relief is to contact a cpa or go directly to the irs, which can work out a payment plan. >> it's a ripoff. don't -- it's a ripoff. >> reporter: something many like nick wish they had known. he lost his savings, 401k and still owes the government

thousands. he is not alone. so for now american tax relief is shut down a sets frozen. if the government wins in federal court, the sec hopes to return some of that money back to consumers. if you have a problem, call 1- 888-5-helps-u. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,

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the norman y. mineta san jo international airport. let'e honest, that's a bit of a mouthful. but i'm dana king. coming up at 6:00, the norman y. mineta san jose mineta international airport. would it be better if the name were longer. why the facility may get a rebranding. >> ing this assist people say, wow. this computer can really do this. this is something people say wow. >> on jeopardy humans didn't stand a chance. what happens when computers get smarter? tonight artificial intelligence gets another look. that and more at 6:00. >> the "cbs evening news with katie couric" is next. we are back in 30 minutes. see you at 6:00.

>> couri , the noose tightens on libya's qaddafi, as his opponents see more territory and the u.s. won't rule out some kind of military action. i'm katie couric. also tonight, was another terror attack in this country stopped? a saudi student in texas is charged with plotting attacks