chief meterologist, eric thomas on your side with what you can expect in your neighborhood. we are seeing an active power doppler radar. nice to have you with us i'm maureen o'boyle. >> i'm paul cameron. a surprise because many of you have been tweeting us video of snow falling in your neighborhoods. this is cornelius. video on lake norman. it's heavy at times but mostly light and is not sticking. quite a sight for folks in the area. over to chief meterologist, eric thomas tracking all of it in the first alert weather center. >> yeah, i will be the first to admit we did not forecast snow falling in charlotte this afternoon. it's 46 . we do not typically do that but we had a boundary come through. the atmosphere is cold aloft and dry near the surface so that cooling allowed the snowflakes to make it to the ground before melting. you can see that band right in there. that is where we had that burst of snow. but again we are not expecting the temperatures to race down towards freezing. no, we are not in the midst of a snowstorm. this is where we were talking it up. and we are l

eric thomas has the full forecast at 6:00 p.m. and the extended forecast and another warm-up. >> next at 4:00 nude photos of a south carolina teacher spread through a cool we'll hear from the teacher who says it is not her fault. >> first, a shout-out to our facebook fan of the day, lynda hill. if you want the opportunity go to wbtv.com/facebook. >> and check out the closing numbers from wall street. big day all around. the dow up almost 350 points. on wbtv news is sponsored by... >> a south carolina teacher is now off the job after a student discovered and distributed nude photos of her. >> leann arthur has been a teacher in south carolina for more than a decade. and says a student took her phone off her desk when she stepped out of the classroom for >> he opened up my gallery from my pictures and he found the inappropriate pictures of myself. and he took pictures from his cellphone of that. and then he told the whole class that he would send them to whoever wanted them. >> the superintendent says the school has concerns arthur c

our chief meterologist, eric thomas is tracking it all from the first alert weather center. >> maureen, a delightful happy hour getting underway. i hope you had a good week. however, yeah, there is disruptive weather heading our way. right here to the radar. look at the rainfall. marching across the gulf coast states and for now, you will see charlotte in the clear. i mean not any cloud cover in the atmosphere. room temperature 72 in the piedmont. closer to 6o that is mild. and up around boone and blowing rock. through the evening you know what? you will be fine. the rain coming across georgia but through 11:00 p.m. still no 62 at 9:00 p.m. and 59 through 11:00 p.m. the rain it will not be denied it's coming for the weekend we will track it part of the seven-day first-alert forecast. >> new tonight we are learning more about charlotte city councilmembers allegedly concerned over their meeting rooms being bugged by the media. former councilmember michael barns confirms to wbtv there were concerns after items mentioned in executive sessions were getting out to the media and at times publ

somebody came in talking about the struggle is real, eric thomas. he had a bad hair day because he was driving with the top down. enjoy it. it is gorgeous outside. kids outside playing. we have the trees blooming. gorgeous afternoon out there. and the sun is depending down later and later. your official sunset is 7:32 and sunrise 7:34. nice long days and plenty of time to enjoy the weather. we are going to see more typical temperatures coming back into play. upper 70s to low 80s. and tomorrow morning still mild wake up we head down to the upper 50s. and yes, how long this warm weather lasts is coming up. here is tonya rivens. >> your first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. as we check in back down south, south of the city, we have more problems. ballantyne commons parkway an accident. providence road west is a great alternate route. and the volume that started to build early on 485. as we look beyond rea road back to south boulevard. and an accident still with us at rea road and bevington place creating congestion. and problem at the mome

here is chief meterologist, eric thomas in the first alert weather center. >> that official first day of and we hit and exceeded 80 for the first time this year. we will show you the numbers. 81. and look at the average high 62. almost 20 above average. and wow. just an amazing departure from the averages. here it is the cloud cover rolling over. we did not have pure sunshine. and the rainfall that will be time-frame. your hd towercam, the milky skies 75 and heading out for friday evening taking the family out for happy hour enjoy. down to 79 and 68 through 11:00 p.m. now, again, you will be dodging rain drops over the weekend. we will track that for you in the seven-day first-alert forecast. >> thank you. we are following a crime alert in gaston county. if you are a parent you will want to pay attention to this. police say someone is trying to lure children. gaston county police say a man approached a 12-year-old girl riding her bike. and police say he offered her money and tried to grab her arm. and she got away. and nikki says a man tried to lure her daughter on cloninger avenue an

eric thomas, is it still 71? >> eric: maureen, it is down to 66 at the airport, but we are near those buildings uptown so perhaps that 71 still applies in the uptown area where the heat tends to hang on a little longer. let's take you outside and show you how things are stacking up in terms of the stout front that is plowing into the wbtv viewing area. thunderstorms west of the mountains and probably not going to see much in the way of thunderstorm activity here in the wbtv viewing area. there is a high wind warning in affect for the mountains. look at the showers racing into the territory right now. not anything real close to charlotte, but these showers are all moving off to the northeast at 50 miles per hour. it won't take long for these to get into the picture. there is your airport temperature. breezes out of the south at 16 miles per hour. here again is your future cast by 11:00. this rain will be all over us. your hour by hour forecast, you folks at the hornets game and coming out of the hornets game have

chief meterologist, eric thomas is in the first alert weather center. eric, a dramatic change? >> maureen, and for anybody out there with the short memory let's refresh that for you. over the past seven days this is what she was talking about. a high of 86 not far from 90 on wednesday and then the swan dive 70 to 47 the low on sunday. and we rebounded our high today but overnight tonight look out. we are going to get cold. maureen showed you the numbers down to 32 at freezing. whether you are in the frost advisory or the freeze warning does not matter if you are worried about protecting your plants because the effect is the same. and it's dangerous. we want to alert you to that. the cold air wrapping around the area of high pressure. out the door, 56 your hd towercam. the rest of the area in the 50s. low 40s around the high country and here we go. 47 at 9:00 p.m. 45 through 11:00 p.m. and on our way down to freezing overnight. much more coming up. stay tuned your first alert forecast. >> new at 6:00 four alleged ms13 gang members are getting ready to stand trial. a federal judg

here is eric thomas in the first alert weather center. >> ok. absolutely 66 was the high temperature today. after a morning low of 33 at the airport. so you have to figure a lot of areas around here especially in the suburbia did nip that 32 mark and hopefully you protected your plants and that cool air is shoved off to the northeast thanks to the high pressure. great stuff. look what it's providing us here 66 and brisk wind. almost on top of us. gusts over 20-miles-per-hour. the last four hours now. here is the rest of it. if you are heading out, are you in great shape mid-60s are locked in. and mid-to upper 50s on the blue ridge. and down to 56 at 9:00 and 54 through 11:00 p.m. and what do we have heading our way? it will be a slow process. through the overnight hours the leading edge of the next area of cloud cover is well off to the west. you can expect more of that. clear skies and cold and 37 and we will call it cool as we bring you here into the piedmont 47 by 8:00 p.m. and let's track this. you will notice that there is not a lot of prog

let's get the big story from our chief meterologist, eric thomas. >> good evening that is still on the plate. look at your doppler radar. you will see the rain really beginning to gather now across the gulf coast states and at the moment as the anchors pointed out we are in the clear. question about it offer the weekend time-frame. out the door look how delightful. 74 and bone dry air and the humidity at 17 and calm winds. and we'll stop it here at 11:00 p.m. you know what? light clouds getting in here and the rain not a disruptive factor on your friday evening. enjoy your happy hour. 62 at 9:00 p.m. and 59 through 11:00 p.m. but the rain will not be denied. more on that for the weekend in the seven-day first-alert forecast. >> right now parents are asking questions after their children were forced to leave school when a fire was set inside a bathroom. walter g. buyers school was evacuated. a student set the fire and has been detained. dedrick russell spoke with concerned parents and students and joins us live with more. have police said what was used >> right now, jamie, still not sur

chief meterologist, eric thomas is in the first alert weather center. >> eric, how warm did we get today? >> 86 . smashed the previous record high of 83 that was set way back in 1945. at the moment stepping out the door 84. temperatures starting to creep into the 70s north and into the 60s in the high country. your hour-by-hour forecast great wednesday evening 69 at 9:00 p.m. and 64 through 11:00 p.m. we are tracking this cooling trend and you might be surprised how cold it's going to get. >> and next at 6:00... >> another great day to be if you suffer from allergies this could be a bad year. >> and a driver is charged with hitting and killing a young woman as she was leaving a panthers game. how she is being honored tonight. >> and new on primetime, a college student's death is bringing state-wide change for fraternities and sororities at south carolina colleges and universities. we will explain at 7:00 p.m. on wbtv news is sponsored by... vo: know you have a dedicated advisor and team who understand where you come from. we didn't really have anything, you know. but, we made do. vo: kno

eric thomas is in the weather center. eric? >> yes, if you like mild weather the news has been good. the snap did not last long. high pressure is build over the southeast portion and bringing back in the eastern half of the us and back in the carolinas, this is the weather map. high pressure is drifting off. and and will be 47 degrees in charlotte. a couple and down into the 40s. and and 48 in the boone area. in the forecast not as cool, 47 degrees. overall, yes, this continues. we'll tack on another. and let's get back to the map. and streaming into the southeast. not a big hurry over the carolinas. you will see the snow storm out in the midwest. wednesday. and are you in great shape. that's the high. and late in the afternoon. >>> and in the mountains. mid-to-upper 60s. the one theme you will see a lot of sunshine there as we bring you down through the foot ill hads. you're in the low to mid70sment we bring knew the 70s across the piedmont and sand hills. >> a nice day the mid-to-upper 70s. if you are trying to dodge rain thi

i'm here in the first alert weather center with chief meterologist, eric thomas. get snow today but a little bit of a surprise for the other areas. >> no, i do not typically forecast snow and 4 6 . >> who would? >> in extreme cases that can happen. we had snow in the mid-40s but you know it cannot last long. and no we are not anticipating going below freezing. and the snow that rolled through, it is a different story in the high country we are expecting more snow and for us that burst will change to rain. and you will see the heaviest is off to the east of the charlotte area. but more redevelopment here in the southern foothills. we will keep the rain around for a while. a heavy patch moving through lancaster and highway 601 and pageland toward jefferson and chesterfield. then the high country. it's ragged up here right now for one-three inches of snow. allegheny, ash, watauga, avery, mitchell and caldwell and also burke counties. that is what we are tracking. once we get through this skies will bright especially for the weekend. -- brighten for the weekend. >> no

let's check in with chief meterologist, eric thomas. a delightful day. 64 . official high 66. and it looks like we are setting up a nice sunset. if you are heading out this evening, you picked a winner! not bad, a light jacket perhaps that should cover you just fine. we are in the mid-60s through morganton and 57 around boone and blowing rock. here is a look at the temperatures as they trail off a little bit. still mid-50s through 11:00 p.m. we'll pull out on the map. take you through the overnight hours. and you will start to see moisture and cloud cover showing up to the west. overall it's not here by day break and clear and cold. 37 in the high country. and down to charlotte and it should be fine. 47 , cool conditions and a quiet start to your wednesday. and back and talk about the systems that are brewing out to the west. yeah, that is a stripe of snow that system will push this cold front toward the carolinas over watching out for in terms of rainfall. and again wednesday should be fine. 66 at noon and 76 at 4:00 p.m. now, this is probably the most important map in this w

let's check in with eric thomas. 71 at 7:00? >> and we hit 75 for the high. that was 14 degrees above average. you don't want to do that in july when it is 90. have a look. we have this big storm that will create flooding problems to the west. it is trudging our way. there are a few thin clouds and look at that warm air overtaking the carolinas tomorrow. to -- tonight it will remain mild. we will be close to the average at 11:00 this evening. beyond that, maureen, we will you know when to expect the showers. you weekend warriors need to pay attention. >> maureen: okay, eric. up next on "primetime" a local mom spooks out after his son's teacher avoids jail time after pleading guilty to having sex with a woman's teenage son. and police say they rushed to help a girl as she was assaulted. you'll hear from one of those heros. and an alleged dui chase caught on camera. what makes this case even more interesting is still ahead. you are wopping "primetime." news >> maureen: now on "primetime" today's most notable video. a reporter in california was covering this tra

eric thomas has more. >> reporter: having a solid college basketball season, as you mentioned, a number four seed, playing hawaii today, the last thing you need is to lose a popular assistant coach to sexual harassment allegations. it was busy and loud at the bar here today while cal fans watched their bears duel it out with hawaii. but in the back of their minds, students were thinking about another blot on the uc system's good name. the assistant coach fired for allegedly sexually harassing is reporter. >> it's not a good look for cal. >> reporter: he's denying any wrongdoing, but he's in the alone. last week, the dean of the law school resigned amid allegations that he had sexually assaulted his executive assistant for months in 2014 and 2015. >> so my team has found about 185 planets. >> reporter: last october, jeffrey marcie resigned following allegations that he had sexually harassed and groped students for a decade. >> time and time and time again, been found to have done very little or nothing to address adequately the instances of sexual violence on the campus. >> it's crazy, a

chief meterologist, eric thomas in the first alert weather center. >> curious if rain is falling already in our area? >> the answer is yes. we have spotty showers not far from charlotte but we'll start off in the mountains because that main line of showers and thunderstorms is roaring into the high country. have a look at the radar. and again this is all moving off to the east northeast at 50-miles-per-hour and as the showers move into the mountains, the winds are going to get the wind warning in effect for ash, watauga gusts in excess of 60-miles-per-hour. tie it down and avery mitchell you have advisory for 50-60-mile-per-hour gusts. i mentioned the showers closer to charlotte and they are moving quickly. turnersburg and harmony you are in the path of these showers right now. do not be surprised if you hear the thunder tonight. 63 at 9:00 p.m. and 60 through 11:00 p.m. and the chances of rain go up and up. the cooler temperatures is part of your seven-day first-alert forecast. >> thank you. tonight police say a crash killed a west mecklenburg high school student. wendy grove road. the

chief meterologist, eric thomas tracking it all in the first alert weather center. >> and i want to point out i am wearing green even though we stand in front of a green wall. here we go. on the bigger map, you mentioned the cooler air and rain in your future. weekend. it is gathering steam over the gulf coast. your hd towercam that rain not a factor for the evening if you are stepping out could it be 76 and the dew point at 26. here it is mid-70s in the piedmont. and cooler in the 50s already there in the high country. your hour-by-hour forecast, 65 at 9:00 and 61 through 11:00 p.m. tomorrow is friday and the weekend is around the corner. and as said cooler and wetter weather on the way. part of your seven-day first-alert forecast. >> thank you. >> coming up new at 6:00... >> neighbors here say enough is enough. they have called an emergency meeting tonight to talk about the issues at west mecklenburg high school. one neighbor told me the situation is getting scary. that story is coming up. >> and next how this house fire is a good thing for firefighters and neighbors in mecklenberg coun

eric thomas, "abc7 news." >> great reminder, eric. thank you. >>> the storms are causing a lot of anxiety in pacifica. demolition begins tomorrow morning on an apartment building because the cliff has been eroding way. >> reporter: right now, there is a lull in the rains, and the crews that are going to be starting their work tomorrow are hoping it will last through the afternoon. you can see that they've started doing some prep for what they'll be doing. there's a few large pieces of equipment that will be used. you can see right there the fence around 320 has been put up. that is a safety fence. now from sky 7 hd, we were able to check out the ex-ten sich damage that may have been caused by this last round of rain. you can see how precarious the corner is to the eroding cliff. we also spotted some debris from the property that has tumbled down to the beach below. a spokesperson representing the city of pacifica tells me demolition will begin tomorrow morning at 9:00, and it will take a few days to completely level this slot. from sk

but that is why you hired eric thomas. because now see that now suddenly now the map looks different. what is that? this is the dew point map. this of course the moisture in the atmosphere cooler colors dry and higher dew points and this is wetter. so you can see the dry air working it way in. not hard to find the front now. dew points in the 20s. northwest of charlotte and in the 50s here south of the charlotte area. all right the dry air arrives first and behind it will be the cooler air. now you are not seeing drastic changes here through the late night hours that 64 at 11:00 p.m. is still above the average high temperature for this time of the year. a mild night on tap. we'll carry that into the morning. your out of door temperature. closer to 50 here in charlotte. and the weather map you see that front peeling off and what is behind it? we have moisture on the gulf coast and that becomes a low that will fly up the eastern seaboard but not much happening between now and when that does development tomorrow a nice day an

. >>> and eric thomas is live in the first alert weather forecast. >> we're going to get video out of that. and with the embedded snow and so overnight tonight look at the future cast, a few left over flurries from time to time. the clouds here on day break are starting to break up. and a chilly start and if you are tired of this weather. changes you know what, i think we have changes. >>> new at 11 a mayor and lawmakers and overturn the non-discrimination bathroom ordinance. the mayor tweeted out she is shocked that the general assembly wants to make the move. it would hurt job growth and other cities like columbia and atlanta have similar ordinances. a it is a threat to safety and he had requests for house ordinance. the council said it will give protection to those in the lgbt community from discrimination and which bathroom to use, the idea that grown men and young girls should the bathroom and middle school boys and girls share locker facilities defies add children at risk. this is crazy. the reaction is this is crazy. it was an extension of the ordinance which clearly the cities

i'm eric thomas. abc7 news says they ran test trains to get to the bottom of the problem. they have been shutdown since wednesday. tiffany wilson is live in concord, and tiffany what can bart rider expect tomorrow. >> bart did run the test trains this evening. however, late tonight bart tweeted out that they have not been able to find the root of the problem. tomorrow morning bart riders expect the bridge to be back and leave yourself some extra time. >> for bart riders, this is is a welcome sign of progress. you are looking at a test train running between the two stations. robin fontain just got off it. she is taking no chances about her morning commute opting to stay close to the city. >> my concern was how i would get to work the next week. >> we hoped on the next shuttle. >> i am on a train running from pittsburgh bay point to north concord and so far, so good. >> it comes with a caveat, no c cars are part of the train. the c cars are the result of the voltage spike. it means a more crowded commut

. >> and there are changes coming and chief meterologist, eric thomas here to talk about those. >> warm air is all across the carolinas and the other thing we will be watching as we get you into tomorrow, this is flying at us is a system out to the west. there is a tornado watch associated with t you see the carolinas warm and clear. but this is what we are watching through the next 24 hours. now, two things to note. yes, the warm air over the carolinas but look at the cool air dragged into the ohio valley and the next system that comes in will push that cool air into the carolinas. 79. you know what is interesting about daylight saving time? you can be talking about the that is our daytime high. 75. and 69 at 9:00 p.m. 66 at 11:00 p.m. all right stay tuned. we will be back looking at the system coming our way part of your seven-day first-alert forecast. >> all new at 6:00... >> a unc student robbed at her off campus housing unit and students are concerned and the apartment complex is now taking action. that story is coming up. >> and on your side investigates a program failing our vete

eric thomas is mapping out it could impact the weekend. eric. >> we'll do that. we'll take you to the radar. you will see nothing in terms of rain over the carolinas. we have the cloud cover t is rotating around a large upper level low. the first batch will be over the weekend. here is the future cast. watch the clock. let's get you out the door here on a saturday morning. there could be a couple of stray showers around but overall it will be more clouds than anything else and the other headline, look how mild it will be. the high temperature is 62. we're at 63 at day break. sunday is wetter. how wet. it is participant of the forecast. >> can you stay on top of rain moving in by down loading the mobile weather app. saturday and sunday. >>> new 1591 an accident involving a caps bus it was down the road from our studios. eight west moore head street. you canyou can see the car front was mangled. three people were taken to the hospital. some were on the bus. they are all expected to be okay. >>> a man on a dirt bike raced to the happened after he crashed into a car.

eric thomas is live in concord for us. >> reporter: we talked to a number of free services today. some reported being very busy today, some expect to be busy tomorrow night and sunday after the winds kick up and blow through and bring down some of those branches and inevitably some trees. today, diseased or dying trees had a price on their heads. like this tree weakened by infestation of beatles, cut down before bad weather did nit a much more dangerous way. still, some trees will fall to mother nature. >> we've got crews ready to go for the weekend. some trees are going to fall out there. >> probably to some combination of drought weakened roots, and winds. pg&e has crews out all over the bay area today. >> this tree is diseased. we want to have it removed before the storm hits. >> reporter: pg&e says keeping branches and power lines apart is a 365-day a year job. >> we could see a power outage, but it could also bring the wire down. that's one of the things we want to avoid. >> reporter: or rain and wind could combine to bring it all down. >> saturation of the soil will move the

. >>> i'm live in the weather center with eric thomas. we're getting blasted with cold air. molly and then some rain and add up to snow for parts of the area as well. molly mentioned. look at this the cold air is ramming again down into the carolinas. some areas now 30 degrees colder right now than we were at this time last night. salisbury, are you leading the charge right now. what about the rain and the snow that's coming our way, it is through the day the snow rolling into the mountains and spill over into the foothills. you will be dry and cold in the morning, 36 degrees. and thereafter the day ends with the snow and rain coming in. we'll talk about accumulations and the rest of the week. >> thank you. >>> new information now on a serious crash involving a pedestrian in charlotte. and sky three was live with the breaking news can you see it shattered and the roof crushed since 5:00 we learned that the victim was seriously hurt and is in the hospital. this was at peach tree and subset bush -- sun set road. police have not said if anyone will face charges. >> terrible upd

back to you. >> thank you. >> let's bring in chief meterologist, eric thomas. one thing about march we can get all kinds of different weather. >> that is the thing about living in the sun belt. crazy. >> the spring rollercoaster. are you ready for a weather swan dive? this is the last seven days. 86 flirting with 90. yeah! look what happened. we went from a high of 70 to a high of what? 47 ? yes, that is the average of 64 there that line cutting across there. today we did manage to rebound backup to a high temperature of 58 . but it will not help the overnight temperatures. look at this. the freeze warning out. we think we are going to get very close precariously close to 32 into the charlotte area. no freeze warning for the mountains. the growing season is not underway yet. frost advisory is the same you might not hit freezing. but down at ground level you can get that freezing layer there. and that what will form the frost. 57 . it is a pretty evening. metro school in great shape in uptown charlotte looking pretty. and 50s in the region. 41 in boone. low 40s

eric thomas has more. >> reporter: sources tell "abc7 news" that robert bates checked out of this room at the valley motel last night or early this morning. police say bates is a violent predator who had sex with children. he was recently released from custody. this couple only found out he was a neighbor of theirs last night. they don't want their faces shown. >> it makes me mad that they continually let him out. i mean, and he -- i think about all the lives that he's ruined. it's wrong. >> they tried to say that they have a right to get a job, but the people they ruined, the children are messed up. >> reporter: some local folks are trying to do something about it. a concord woman calling herself michelle w. started this petition drive to persuade law enforcement to move bates somewhere else and she's getting some support. elaine posted, we do not want this person in our community or around our children. he needs to stay in prison. jamie strickland wrote, i live in north concord with my family. this man is too close to the places we frequent and way too close to my home. he needs to g

i'm eric thomas. the storm has caused widespread damage. trees have come down in every part of the bay area. power lines are also down. thousands of pg&e customers are in the dark right now. slippery roads made for treacherous conditions. chp responded to more than double their usual calls. the heavy rain started this afternoon, but just in the past couple of hours, the brunt of the rain really hit. team coverage tonight of this major storm starting with abc 7 meteorologist drew tuma. >> we knew this storm would be wet and windy. the storm moved onshore in the early afternoon. heavy rain, strong winds. the good news, live doppler 7 d hd. the winds have calmed down. the heaviest of the rain has pushed off to the east. we're dealing with residual effects of this rain. this one 50 is starting in sonoma county north of petaluma. we are starting to see some flooding in that area. take note of that. another flash flood warning south central napa county. we are seeing flooding in that area as well. we'll take you to the south. this flash flood war

eric thomas has reaction, including the coach's. >> reporter: i had a question for steve kerr at today's shoot around. have you talked to draymond about the driving video? >> i will. >> reporter: this is the video they'll talk about. 13 seconds of a bmw zipping down an east bay freeway at 118 miles per hour that green posted to snap chat and later deleted. green wasn't at today's shoot around but the coach had this to say. >> i know h e addressed it last night. he said he used poor judgment, which obviously is the case. and i'm very confident that he won't do it again. >> reporter: kerr says he's thankful no one was hurt. the warriors have managed to keep a squeaky clean image throughout the last few seasons, including last year's championship. but this is not the example that he wants to set, especially to young people, like these teens, taking part in the every 15 minutes driver safety program. >> definitely hurts his reputation, for sure. >> actions he took that are mistakes. >> reporter: speeding and photographing it are about as dangerous as it gets. >> it's a bad idea for anybody t

i'm eric thomas. we are tracking what's left of the storm on live doppler 7hd. our team coverage includes a high surf warning in san francisco. that's where a sinkhole forced people to evacuate. abc7 news reporter sergio is live near the boulevard and center street. sergio, is the gas line still leaking? >> it is not yet clear. off. let me show you what has been going on for the last couple hours. it is down the way where the sinkhole appeared and where that gas line was damaged. we can hear some very heavy equipment. that's where pg&e crews were trying to get to a section of that gas main so they can pinch it off. this is the sinkhole that triggered the evacuation. initially the biggest concern was buried power lines that may be compromised by the growing hole. then the traffic signal fell in and nicked the gas line. from a distance you can see how short it is now. >> officers saw the pole drop? >> that is correct and heard the gas escaping and a very loud noise and that's why we started evacuating people. >> within minutes hundreds of people were cleared out o

eric thomas has details. >> good evening. let's get you back to the doppler radar it is impressive batch of rain. you can see it is in view and coming off the gulf as well. but out the door at least in the morning we think we can keep the roads dry. 65 degrees. there is the mild wear the average high is 61. in terms of rain the weekend you will have to deal with it. it is part of the forecast. >>> a reminder can you stay on top of any rain moving in by down loading the mobile weather app. there is interactive radar and alerts to help you plan ahead. >>> this is just in, police and medic responding to a car that crashed into a home in west charlotte on honey wood avenue. you can see the front end crushed in. we're asking about the driver how they are doing and the cause of the crash. we will update you when we learn more. >>> a shooting in east charlotte. police were out and they just identified the person who was shot. alex giles is near the apartments at park land circle. you just got information from the officers? >> yes, m

here is chief meteorologist eric thomas. >> warm and dry and that pollson on the way up as well. we'll cover all the bases for you, we'll not waste any time. and no problem finding the warm weather on here. that gets underway tomorrow. we'll have a low of 44. the high 74. there is the try. noens cha of rain. watch this. a few clouds we'll pull it out. look at that -- no chance of rain. watch this. a few clouds we'll put it out. that will be to the west. we're going to have more sunshine and up to 69 degrees at noon. 73 through the 4:00 hour. up into the high country we talk about the ski season and things can turn around in a hurry. boone now pushing the mark during the day. low and mid70s. this is at 4:00. you see the time. mid-70s to upper 70s showing up here in the piedmont of north carolina. they are not lows to record highs. they are averaging in the mid-80s across the areas outside of the mountains. above the average high of about 60 degrees. wednesday then we inch it up to 76. partly cloudy. you can see sunshine there it is. a little chance of rain. let's get back to where

chief meterologist, eric thomas in the first alert weather center. eric you were pointing out that issue here but earlier some of it may just fretter away by the time it gets here? >> that is t we are not going to see anything like they see in the gulf coast states. the warm air is not going to change. and when we are talking about the warm air we will be talking about the wet air as well or as you know it, rainy weather. it is a big problem for mississippi and alabama. let's track it. we'll put it on the future tracker. and 6:00 p.m. and through the evening hours. and stop it at 11:00 p.m. for us partly cloudy skies but the rain is still just west of the mountains. no, you will not deal with this during the evening hours. hd towercam setting foot out the door how about 74 ? and take you to 68 at 9:00 p.m. and 66 through 11:00 p.m. we will get back to the rain and we'll track that for you and how it affects your weekend and beyond part of your seven-day after more than a year of negotiations the city reached an agreement with american airlines to con

. >>> let's talk weather now and bring in chief meteorologist eric thomas. right? >> eric: yes. have i a pontiac and i don't even have a button. you have to get out there and put it in the trunk. >> it was gorgeous outside. the key is a gallon of aqua net and then you are fine. >> wind tunnel tested hair. >> let's take you outside. it was a delightful day to get the top down. again this is where we are going to pick up where we left off. the warm air is evident. i also want to point out the sea of blue. suddenly this is looking for impressive. it pushed the cool air back a little closer to us, but not quite in the carolinas yet. in fact let's look at it and it is already producing a tornado watch. there are warnings out as well. this cool air behind it, you can see that motion in there, that's that air coming back out of the north. that eventually will come back to the carolina. we are talking within the next 24 this thing is whipping along. your scott clark toyota weathernet is is 77 degrees and a beautiful sunset we have shaping up. that sun is just now hitting the horizon. we

i'm eric thomas. many neighbors say they didn't know what was going on even after police and fbi agents raided the apartment yesterday. leslie brinkley is live in dublin with this incredible story. >> reporter: eric, it's quite a story. a man and a woman renting out nice apartments and then running their business out of them. as you walk in the living room, police say they'd have a lobby and even a receptionist. in the bedroom were brothels. here at this new luxury apartment building across the street from the dublin b.a.r.t. station, a sex trafficking business operated out of an apartment. >> that, honestly, like i'm flabbergasted. i don't know what to think now. something like that could be happening right next door to me. >> reporter: dublin police followed up on a tip about prostitution back in august. undercover officers and the fbi investigated. and on friday morning they stormed into six locations around the bay area with search warrants. they arrested curtis string and shelly yu charged with p

i'm eric thomas. suicide bombers targeted a public park in the capital city of pakistan. dozens are dead, many women and children. lilian kim is in our newsroom with more. lilian? >> pakistani americans living in the bay area got word from their friends and family. a heartbreaking situation as they have seen more violence in their home country in the last few years. >> they started their day with horrible news. a suicide bombing where both of them lived before moving to the u.s. the bomb was detonated within several feet of the swingett is. 300 more people were injured. fortunately no one they knew were among the casualties, but they worry about the emotional toll it is taking on their friends and family. >> every time you hear about this you think about your kids and the environment and stress there has been now brought up -- into. >> this time a splinter faction of the at that . is claiming responsibility. saying christians are the target. >> it is a day of our worship is a day [inaudible]. >> they

i'm eric thomas. police are casting a wide netd in hopes of catching this man who is accused in a drive-by shooting that wounded anne e 8-year-old concord boy. the wounded boy is still in the hospital. abc 7 news reporter sergio quintana is live in the newsroom. the boy wasn't the target. >> reporter: that's according to some of the people we spoke with at the home. they were able to identify a suspect in the shooting pretty quickly because there were lots of witnesses and the victim's family knows the alleged shooter. concord police are looking for this man 32-year-old james j jarrard, considered armed and dangerous. >> he fired a handgun at a group of individuals with a group of children playing in the yard, which is reckless. he's highly dangerous. >> reporter: several people witnessed the shooting, including the 8-year-old victim's young brothers who were also playing in the front yard. the family did not speak to me on camera but did say they know jarrard by his nickname, smiley. the intended vic

he talked to eric thomas, who is live with the latest. >> reporter: it's taken a year and a half to bring this case to resolution. a tourist murdered for $50 and a cell phone by men police call gang members and the victim's father flying halfway around the world to make sure justice was done. the man on the left got 44 years to life for his role in the killing of michael bailey. the woman on the right was acquitted earlier. another defendant william jones got 57 years to life as the shooter. >> this is a senseless act. >> reporter: it was october 4, 2009. michael bailey, a senior electrical engineering student from louisiana, and some trefris were visiting san francisco where they were robbed of $50 and a cell phone. >> if you're going to take somebody's money, take it. you don't have to shoot the person. >> reporter: the victim's father is a 24-year military veteran who works in afghanistan. he came back home for the trial. >> those three boys can't know who their dad is, but what can i do about it? it's life. >> reporter: relatives of the defendants did not want to talk to us, but the l

eric thomas, "abc7 news." >> okay. so what impact, if any, is this going to have? we have the warriors and we talk about them being great guys. >> that's the thing that is frustrating about this situation. as you mentioned, the warriors, they have a bunch of really good citizens on the roster. nobody gets arrested. nobody is putting themselves in embarrassing situations generally. so this is very unusual. as a parent, we call these teachable moments. and this is one. look, it's fun to be young and rich and drive a fast car. but he could have gotten killed, he could have killed somebody else. this is a bad idea on just about every single level. beyond that, professional athletes have to understand that the scrutiny that they're under, especially this team, because they're so popular, social media can cause all kinds of unnecessary woes. why would you share anything like that? you shouldn't do it in the first place, and why would you post it and then not expect there to be some sort of controversy? herman edwards from espn has a saying, don't hit send. in this case,

i'm eric thomas. we have team coverage for the second storm in as many days. drew? >> we are seeing very heavy rain especially in the southern half of the bay area. it is right down to street level. live doppler 7hd. yellows, oranges and reds, fremont, newark, union city. heavy rain is falling at this hour. we'll slide over to mountain view as well as sunnyvale or in and out of the pockets of heavier rain even as we move toward san jose. a pop of yellow around santa clara. we have a flood advisory for the southern half of the bay area. there are smaller streams and creeks and areas of poor drainage and we could have flooding overnight. be aware of that. we are picking up on thundershowers. live doppler 7hd and notice the lightning strikes and as we widen out the view there are other thunderstorms off the coast as well. overnight and first thing tomorrow morning, some of the thundershowers may move into the bay area. our storm impact scale, this is a moderate storm. we are tracking the downpours and re

chief meterologist, eric thomas and eric, i hear it's not going to stay like this much longer. >> absolutely right. air is coming up once again ahead of this next system with a tornado watch and the showers moving across the corn belt. look at the temperature map. this is through the day on wednesday. but it's easy to focus your eyes on the warm area over the carolinas but this time things are a little bit different. the cool air is beginning to show up again and pile up across the ohio valley. and that will break loose and that will get down and back into the wbtv viewing area. the hd towercam, 79 and that was the official high today. calm winds and it is absolutely delightful. through the evening hours 69 through 9:00 p.m. down to 66 at 11:00 p.m. coming up we'll talk about rain perhaps in the weekend time-frame and that cooldown all part of your seven-day first-alert forecast. here is tonya. >> your first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. and we have problems around w.t. harris and sunset road. the injury accident at i-77 north on the ramp at w.t. that is around exit 18a and w.

it will get in here for the weekend and eric thomas will have more at 5:00 p.m. and let's check in with tonya rivens and the first alert traffic center. >> and first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. a problem i-85 southbound this is by little rock road mile marker 31. it just opened up. wilkinson boulevard is next on wbtv news... >> that man and woman accused in that bizarre case in alexander county went before a judge today and we were there. >> plus the video has gone viral. a donald trump supporter punches a protester during a rally in north carolina. we have new information about the incident next at 5:00. lots to get wbtv on your side. wbtv on your side news farts right now. >> new >> wbtv news starts right now. >> investigators have uncovered. charlotteth three days. >> my mom almost got hit. >> we talk to neighbors who fear for their safety after a deadly shooting in east charlotte. it has been a violent week in charlotte. i'm maureen o'boyle. >> i'm paul cameron. police are investigating four shootings that happened four days ago and now a dea

good evening, i'm eric thomas, the shooting sent several people to the hospital all happening in oakland coming up the eastern span of the bay bridge not far from the toll plaza. abc news reporter cornell barnard is live there. and cornell, how cooperative were passengers with police? >> reporter: eric, not helpful at all, apparently, in fact, passengers we're told, were hostile with the officers, one assaulted the investigator? why? we don't know. but we do know the passengers will survive, their conditions are improving. the bus company, the person operating the bus, not saying much at all. the person you're looking at for the distance was not involved in the shooting. chp says they're searching for the suspect but don't have much to go on. the bay bridge area was closed after the gunmen opened fire and injured one passenger critically. they were returning to san francisco, we counted at least nine bullet holes in the side of the bus. the driver was not hurt and told police he saw two gunmen driving a red suv who took off. but party bus passengers were angry and combative with the offi

chief meterologist, eric thomas is tracking the activity up in the mountains in the first alert weather center. >> absolutely, paul. both the southern and the northern mountains. one of the storms is moving in is a severe thunderstorm producing large hail this is the end of this low that is rotating through tennessee and the kentucky area but the southern flank poses danger for us. there again you see that thunderstorm moving now along the i-85 corridor in south carolina to the north we go. look at these thunderstorms in watauga county and they are weakening but this right on the virginia border. look at the lightning swarming into the area. moving off to the northeast at 25. and the hope is this will be out quickly. but big horse creek road you are in the worth of it -- worst of it. stay inside do not fool around with lightning. and we will keep you updated on the progress and the potential to workout into the piedmont and closer to charlotte through the evening. all coming up in the seven-day first-alert forecast. >> thank you. now to campaign 201612 hours until the polls open in nort

. >> and eric thomas is tracking it all. he is live with details. >> eric. >> good evening. all right. if were you to look at this graph that i will show you and let's bring that up. you may being thissing what is paul cameron talking about. that's not a warming trend down hang on look at the colors. that's the saturday weather map. look at sun up to charlotte. watch this on monday, wham, warm colors overtaking the us they are coming up. >>> breaking news the author pat convoy has died that's according to reports in charleston. he was known for prince of tides or beach music and he was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago and that is a nasty one. he died at his home in south carolina. i got to meet him a few years ago. this is three years ago. he was 70 years old. >>> and campaign 2016 taking center stage in our area. donald trump announced the campaign. it will be at noon. the event is free and open. we have a link at wbtv.com. we'll have coverage on monday. >>> and ben carson is ending his bid for the white house. and he made the announcement during the cpac a gathering

eric thomas, i am curious if it is still so warm. >> eric: the rebound continues. we got up to a high of 47 and we tacked on at least 10 degrees on monday and here we go now, 66 the high today. we could tack on another 10 degrees tomorrow with the high pressure. the cold air is getting pushed away. that will keep the door open and the warm air will come back around. the backside of the area of high pressure, scott clark nissan honda tower cam. a bresk -- a brisk wind out of the south and if you are heading out you will be okay. temperatures in the 60s, outside the mountains low to mid50s. your hour by hour forecast closer to charlotte, taking it down to 59 at 9:00 and 54 at 11:00. looking beyond though, we have a couple of systems coming our way for the easter weekend which means it is rain heading our way. it is part of the first alert forecast. >> maureen: five years after her sister was gunned down in a catawba county home, a woman talks to us as the person accused in the killing could and why a man accused of breaking into vehicles of fire departments targeted

good evening, i'm eric thomas. umbrellas were important today on the streets of san francisco. the rev of chain saws could be heard all over the bay area. crews had to take care of this tree in the east bay hills. right now, rain is still coming down in some areas. but there are dry days ahead. for more, let's check in now with meteorologist drew tuma. >> we're tracking the tail end of our storm system on this sunday evening. still tracking some pockets of light rain around gilroy, morgan hill right now, the light green. light rain falling in the region. as we slide to the north and to the north bay right now, widely scattered showers in the region as this system begins to depart the region. a couple light showers around livermore, but that's about it in terms of activity. we certainly got soaked this weekend. look at the 48-hour rain totals. whoa! a lot of places in san francisco, nearly 2 inches, over 2 inches in oakland, 1/2 an inch in san jose, mill valley, 1 1/2 inches of rain. future weather as we plan your monday. monday morning 7:00 in the morning, not out of the questi

eric thomas, "abc7 news." >>> state lawmakers today took action, so californias will be know allowed to receive a doctor's help to die. 29-year-old britney leonard moved to oregon so they could legally end her life. >>> still ahead, well wishers pour in by the thousands to pay their respects to nancy reagan. we're live in simi valley. >>> there's a big recall of food in kitchens across the bay area and around the country. we'll tell you why. >>> millennials on the housing market. the resources that can help seal the deal. >> >> and -- >> what is your >>> this is "abc7 news." written in the sky. the public saying good bye to nancy reagan today. tomorrow, dignitaries including michelle obama and george w. bush will pay their respects. laura anthony is live at the reagan library tonight. laura? >> reporter: this was the last day for the public to take part in these services for mrs. reagan over the past two days. more than 4,000 people have taken shuttle buses up here to the reagan library to say their final good byes. crowds filing into the reagan library to pay final respects to nancy

i'm eric thomas. happening now, the search for a man accused in a drive-by shooting in concord that injured an eight-year-old boy. that child is at children's hospital oakland recovering. we're live with new developments. >> reporter: it looks like they identified a suspect in this case, and part because police identified lots of witnesses to this drive-by shooting of let's show you the picture. this is a picture police are trying of the guy that police are trying to catch, 32-year-old james jarrard is considered armed and dangerous. witnesses told me offcamera he is known as "smiley" but family of the eight-year-old victim did not want to talk to me on camera but said offcamera the eight-year-old is at children's hospital and doctors have not been able to remove the bullet in his neck and said the child was not the intended victims. there were other kids playing in the front yard, and watching thing walt the shooter's own brother, who has not been identified. people who saw the shooting say he was th

i'm eric thomas. a wet day across the bay area. people huddling under their umbrellas trying to stay dry. the roads were slick on highway 24 in orenda today. a live look from the exploratorium camera at pier sa. san francisco overcast and rather damp. for more on the rain, the scattered showers, let's check in with meteorologist drew tuma. >> it's been on-and-off light showers. we're tracking the tail end of this cold front that is pushing through the region. still light showers out there. from redwood city, south of mill bray, lighted rain. the light rain extends into piedmont, and around oakland. light showers at this hour. the north bay really the winner in terms of rainfall. more than 1/2 of an inch fell in a lot of the locations there. south of the golden gate and into the south bay. no measurable rainfall has come your way. we'll still keep that chance of scattered showers through the evening. light storl on the storm impact scale with less than .10 of an inch of moisture. more rain is headed our way. we'll have the forecast