right now at 11:00, rain returns. plus, can you see it? we'll show you the total eclipse. plus a flash mob fiasco shuts down a mall. the news in 30 seconds. and you are telling me this, why? i...uh...thought you might be my secret santa? no. i'm giving for skunk. uh, i can hear you. no. not you. the other skunk. [ female announcer ] safeway is the place to stock up on itunes gift cards. right now, save $6 on a $40 4-pack. keep 'em on hand. only at safeway. ingredients for life. it's something we're probably ingesting all the time and not realizing how much tap water we're drinking. >> tap water worries. the same chemical that made erin brockovich a household name is now in the bay area's waters. good evening, i'm denise aguirre. >> and i'm tom sinkovitz. george has the study that you should be aware of. george? >> reporter: think of this the next time you use tap water from the sink. a watchdog agency tested 35 cities and found high levels of a chromium 6. out of 35 cities, san jose has the fifth highest level of chromium 6. we talked to the family tonight who is thinking twice about drinking san jose tap. >> just tonight i was washing that lettuce with the san jose tap water. you try to do things that are healthy and safe for your family and then you end up finding out the tap water could have a really dangerous chemical in it. >> courtney and her husband jeremy were stunned when they heard that san jose's tap water has a high level of chromium 6, a chemical that has a high probability of causing cancer. they are concerned for their ten month-old baby boy. >> i am concerned because baby's systems and cells are especially vulnerable to chronic chemicals. i'm really concerned he may have been kplakimpacted. >> it's the same chemical that erin brockovich in the movie was fighting against. chromium 6 can affect the very young or the very old. but the cwa says it also depends on how often you ingest chromium 6 and how much of it is in the water. >> you want to do the best for your kids, and to know that we may have hurt our child by letting him have tap water is really scary to me. >> scientists in california say .06 parts per billion represents a healthy level, that you can drink water with chromium 6 in it. >> 35 cities were tested and buff them was san jose, and san jose did end up being in the top five in terms of the contamination level in its water. >> the state said it will be coming out with an official level of drinking standard of chromium 6 sometime soon. in the meantime, courtney will be using bottled water instead of tap water to make his formula. >> now it makes me concerned that he's really had tap water. >> the ewg says bottled water may not be the answer, either, because it also doesn't pass strong testing standards, so it could also have chromium 6 in there, too. the best way to protect yourselves is installing a reverse water filter. the city told me, quote, water delivered by the san jose municipal water system meets all drinking water standards set by the u.s. epa and the california department of public health. our customers can feel confident that the water we supply is safe to drink. we're live in san jose tonight. well, new at 11:00 -- ♪ happy birthday to you >> what started out as a random act of musical kindness ended with the evacuation of the mall. they opened their doors this evening after a devastating fire last fall. a local church group called a group of people to show up and sing the hallelujah correspond us outside. after 5,000 people showed up, the floor started creaking. the mall had to be evacuating. now they're checking it for structural safety. wind and rain across the east bay today. get ready, more is on the way. a so cal soaker, rain sat rating the ground, leaving drivers there to navigate flooded streets. and in the sierra, winter arrived a day early with downpour of snow. we have team coverage tonight. nbc bay area cheryl hurd and how locals are getting ready for that rain tonight. cheryl? >> reporter: jessica, a lot of people are mentally ready for that rain, especially after experiencing last week's storm. whether you're hitting the road for your work week or traveling, everyone knows it's going to be a wet one tomorrow. the rain clouds hitting the bay area quickly, and for johnny key, working in the rain is normal. >> i'm a chimney sweep. >> does rain get in the way? >> yes, it does. it makes things messy. i have to have lots of paper towels and lots of clean-up. >> some folks here in the bay area are recovering from a rainy weekend and preparing for another storm. there were trees down in oakland and a lot of sandbags in place. people want to be prepared this time. >> this is actually layers that you wear next to your skin that keep you warm and dry. >> a lot of folks who want to stay dry came to rei in berkeley. >> a lot of folks get caught off guard by not having rain gear or they don't have clothing that's adequate enough for both the rain and the cold combined. >> westin walker has clothing for both, but he needs more than an umbrella because he's heading to the sierra for the holidays. >> i came in here to get a couple backcountry shovels so i'm prepared for any avalanches that might happen. >> no snow here in the bay area, at least not in the flatlands. the good news tonight, it will be dry at least until i get home. reporting live in berkeley, i'm cheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. >> cheryl, thank you very much. now, chief meteorologist jeff paniri says we're going to see more rain. let's head to the weather center. >> we do expect to get in on some heavier rainfall as we head into tuesday. this new storm is developing and out ahead of it we're still finding a little bit of instability across the bay area. we had some pockets of moderate rainfall. today even some heavy rainfall in the north bay. san bernardino, just a few spotty showers, nothing major. however, our mid-week storm continues to develop. it's going to pull this train of moisture back to the bay area with an active jet stream. that will produce half an inch to an inch here in the valley. windy at times, 15 to 30-mile-per-hour gusts. we'll be tracking that for you tonight. we'll also have details on the lunar eclipse and the weather. there is more than five feet of fresh snow falling in the sierra tonight. lake tahoe is definitely a destination, but slick roads and travelers can be a dangerous mix on the mountain. coming up in about five minutes, we'll go to blue canyon for an update. go to nbcbayarea.com for updates around the clock. you can also sign up for severe weather and breaking news e-mail alerts. happening now, the sky going completely back all across the bay area. the weather did threaten to ruin this total lunar eclipse that you're looking at live. it's happening right now. this is a view outside oakland chabeau observatory. a total lunar eclipse means the moon is passing beneath its shadow. >> it tends to happen in clusters. we have this one, treil wlto be two more in 2011 and then we won't see one for five years. >> a total lunar eclipse hasn't exactly coincided with the winter solstice in nearly 400 years. the last one? 1538. it's about a 3.5-hour event. check it out in about an hour. that's when the earth's shadow should completely cover the moon. i don't think i'll be rarndarour the next one. >> no, i suppose we won't be. but since we talk about things we won't see, how about the set we sit on? you'll notice there is a temporary change of scenery. >> this is our studio. new digs in a couple weeks and we'll look forward to sharing that with you. >> indeed, we will. up next, road rain. you can't get one until tomorrow, but how did he do it? >> there is a lot of potential forensic evidence that hasn't been used in the past because there hasn't been the science behind it. >> extreme science helping cops catch criminals like never before. would you believe that cat fur is putting bad guys behind bars. see how it's done and how bay area pets are changing forensics. let it snow, let it snow. the sierra covered in white and there's mo o w brehe tay if you're heading north for christmas. you're going to want to stick around and seehe th. >> plenty of cold air ahead of this next storm system right now. we're trackin upper 30s and lower 40s in the east uy.ba two storms will be heading our way this week, including a christmay.day ss rm that i'll have details on. also when the best time to see our solstice lunar to i'ps i' ll have that for you in minutes. [ female announcer ] safeway talks made-for-you meals. when you don't have to cook, you have time for other things. yeah, like what? i don't know. fishing. fishing?! i, uh, i said wishing. [ female announcer ] when we do the cooking, you do the enjoying. safeway. ingredients for life. ♪ ♪ you can find your feet and you can find your way ♪ ♪ you can find yourself in bed at the end of the day ♪ ♪ you can find some fun on a tropical isthmus ♪ ♪but you'll never find my... ♪ you can find it in your heart to be patient with me ♪ ♪ you can find a new star for the top of the tree ♪ ♪ i don't mean to be coy and i don't mean to be vicious ♪ ♪ but you'll never find my christmas ♪ mmm. you smell that? yeah, wait. what is that? love. smells like ham. [ female announcer ] serve a main course brimming with comfort and joy. safeway. ingredients for life. well, live video coming in from the sierra tonight. highway 80 in truckee. holiday skiers, they're going to get plenty of snow. several feet fell over the last few days and the roads are slick. i want to check base with chief meteorologist jeff paniri in a moment, but first a look at the conditions. >> reporter: so forget night skiing. how about night sledding? these guys came up from citrus heights just to sled. unfortunately, their inner tube was overinflated. >> you got too much air in there? >> yeah. >> reporter: on the roads, traffic was light but steady. travelers trying to beat the christmas crowds. >> it's pretty icy, there's a lot of snow. it's pretty insane. >> reporter: the draw of fresh powder is too great. this group of college students came from the bay area. >> where you going? >> we're going up to tahoe city tonight. >> for how long? >> couple days vacation. >> the cal trans is bracing for major crowds as the week goes on. they're asking crowds to be prepared as snow levels rise and fall, and driving conditions keep changing. but most people we spoke to say the ski conditions are so good right now, they're staying as long as they can. >> i came up today, left my girlfriend at home, and i had so much fun i'm going to pick her up for the next couple days. >> cal tran has been trying to keep the roads clear of both snow and accidents. traffic has been heavy throughout the weekend and they only expect to get much heavier as the holiday week continues. well, our next story sounds like a case right out of csi, but it's very real. as n brks krrbc bay area garvin, it involves a murderer, a su suspect and a new type of science pioneered right here in northern california. >> like so many advances in the fight against crime, the one we're about to show you begins with an actual crime. in march 2004, steven nolty was murdered at a california home. of the evidence collected at the scene, cat hair stuck to his possibility r pocket. unlike human hair, there was little forensic scientists could do with cat hair other than to say that's what it was. that is, until the detectives in missouri placed a call to scientists in california. >> that's when the lab kind of got kicked into action. >> leslie lions is with the university school of medicine. for years they have been collecting dna profiles of cats for research purposes. >> we have cats from all over the united states, all over the world. >> but with that call from kansas city, they realized their data base could hold the key to another powerful application. >> there is a lot of potential forensic evidence that hasn't been used in the past because there hasn't been the science behind it. >> so using the uc david science, prosecutors were anyone to rule out the hair belonging to any cat other than one living with henry pogue, the leading suspect in the murder. it was the first time ever such evidence had been used in a court of law. polk was convicted and sent to prison for life. >> which is interesting, but frankly, it's about to get even more interesting. because it's one thing to match a cat hair to a cat if you actually have the cat. but what if you don't? what if all you have is a cat hair or some saliva or other forensic evidence but not the cat? the scientists at david say they are working on technology that will enable them with just that evidence to provide investigators with a picture of what the cat looks like. >> we can genetically type that and tell you whether that cat is an all white cat, a black and white cat, a siamese cat. so we can tell you with that evidence what that cat looks like. >> and when you figure there are cats in one-third of americans r american homes, literally 10 million of them, you can see what a powerful tool this could be, turning cat hair. something investigators can't wait to get their hands on. nbc bay area news. >> that is fascinating, isn't it? >> those guys are going to have a hard time getting away. >> let's turn things over to jeff. jeff, we've been talking about the snow, a lunar eclipse. this is like nirvana for you. it's not just the lunar eclipse, it's the solstice lunar eclipse. we're going to change the calendar into winner starting tomorrow. this is something that has not happened on winter solstice since december 26, 2008. but the best kind of view is : 3:17 a.m. that's the storm we had on saturday, this is the one that's coming for tomorrow. as we take you in the south bay and the east bay, you have a best chance of getting a view of this. if you don't see them in the north bay, the next time you can see it is sunday, december 21 , 2121st. right now it's cold in the east bay with 43 the east bay, 49 in sunnyville. for tomorrow we're going to see the storm system advancing, winds increasing for tuesday evening. we're also going to follow our second storm this week on christmas day at this point. here's the next storm system. plenty of moisture tapping into that subtropical flow that really helped to get things going this past saturday and sunday, and it's going to be that same pattern. the jet stream not budging at all. see that jet stream right across northern california? it also brings the possibility of some thunder as we head out into sunday and also some gusty periods at times. let's go to the timeline. we're looking mainly at cloud cover. then as we advance this not through the noon hour but 6:00 or 7:00 tomorrow, that's when it will start picking up with the storm system with some high totals in the north bay at this point. cold weather for those of you in los gatos with 30 degrees expected. tomorrow we'll keep temperatures in the 50s. breaks of sunshine and through the day the clouds increasing as our storm gets closer for some evening rain on tuesday. 54 in dublin. walnut creek. also in alamo, we're looking at au 50s. pretty uniform now that we've had several storms in a row and little of a break here across the bay area. 49 in calastoga. your rain heads into wednesday morning. as we head into friday and then christmas day, looks rainy and all-time record snow in november and december. unbelievable. >> altitude gives you a white christmas. talk about a volt. n east bay man got a volttoday. we take today. we take chevy's new electric car for a spin. lightning fast. lightning strong. verizon 4g lte. rule the air on the most advanced 4g network in the world. a 25-year-old self-confessed tech geek from berkeley is the first bay area resident to own the chevy volt. patrick yang fell in love with the hybrid when he saw it as a concept car three years ago. can you tell? if you want to have a place at the front of the line for one of the very first cars, the car can be charged with a normal wall outlet and it gets between 25 and 50 miles on the battery alone. it also as a gas generator for the longer drives. while yang will save money on his 0 gas commute, the msrp on this car runs more than $40,000. >> he seems very happy with it, though. quite pleased. good for him. we hope he >>nj> toy hehe warriors back at home with a winnable game. scott's up next. [ female announcer ] safeway talks gift ideas. music makes a great gift. i like rock, hip-hop, country... and you are telling me this, why? i...uh...thought you might be my secret santa? no. i'm giving for skunk. uh, i can hear you. no. not you. the other skunk. [ female announcer ] safeway is the place to stock up on itunes gift cards. right now, save $6 on a $40 4-pack. keep 'em on hand. only at safeway. ingredients for life. and loren scott here telling about the warriors. >> they need some wins. things looking promising with the rockets in oakland. we saw former niners running back, and tweed visiting riley in the gm box. monat the ellis drops 44, and the warriors lead by four. call is karma. a team too thin in the middle. watch kevin martin take control. the sacramento king leading the rockets with 30. houston runs out of oakland with a 121-112 win. the warrior king may have actually played his last game. brett favre made a surprise return last night for monday night football. frigid conditions in minneapolis as the vikings hosting the bear, where the university of minnesota plays. favre playing as smooth as if it were in the metrodome shooting the first score. but favre's night would end shortly after. this sack, which led him to being knocked out of the game, might be it for brett favre. punting to david hester always dangerous. it helped the bears to a 40-14 win. stanford head coach jim harbaugh, his wife sara gave birth to their second daughter, kathleen harbaugh. getting ready for virginia tech on january 3rd. now the coach has a bundle of joy at home. >> when i'm out here, i focus on being out here, and when i'm in the hospital with my wife or baby, i'm focused on that. >> we all congratulated him. we know he's happy and we're just happy for another stanford fan in the stands. >> that little bit of life i want to be in on and be privileged to witness that, so really excited about both. >> it may not be blossoming, but the raiders and 49ers still full of life. we caught up with one of the raiders being mistaken for jolly st. nick. >> yeah, some of the kids may have thought i was santa. stopping by the room, bearing gifts, dressed in red. i can see the confusion. >> ricky says it's an important reminder of visiting the children in stanford, and these children are not worried about the playoffs, they're thrilled that some larger than life heroes come see them and talk to them, and no matter where or when, so it's a very special day for those kids. the miners back to work th msuay sunday.s host indy at we'll be right back. for the holidays? do tell. true love. true love is a myth. [ gasps ] you're a myth! excuse me? [ female announcer ] it's the thought that counts. and the gift. safeway. ingredients for life. that smells scrumptious. yummy! smells delightful. awesome! i'm not smelling anything. [ female announcer ] everything for holiday baking. just add love. safeway. ingredients for life. ♪ i'm go♪ i can't wait now i'm gonna get it. ♪ [ female announcer ] everything for holiday baking. just add love. ♪ every little step, brings me closer to the gift. can't be late. ♪ ♪ rip it open in a second and it's time to play. ♪ ♪ i was up all night in anticipation feeling electric jewels of jubilation. ♪ ♪ yule tide carols from the local congregation. ♪ ♪ make it tough to hold my patience in check. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪ it's going to be a messy day outside tomorrow, so we want to check in one more time with jeff paniri. >> we want to update viewers once again. the best time to get the solstice view is 12:15. it's already happening right there. this hasn't happened in 100 years in the east bay or the south bay. a clear look at our forecast once again does have some rainfall back into tuesday night, also into wednesday. we're still following our christmas day storm on saturday with some rain and some wind. hang on, folks, if looks active again this week. >> the moon just disappeared. we have to go find it, don't we? >> let's go outside and look. >> we'll see you all tomorrow night again. >> thank you for being with us, everyone. have a good night. >> bye bye. 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