holiday shoppers here. the national retail federation projects that holiday sales this year will exceed last year by 11.5%. shoppers streamed into downtown walnut creek armed with holiday cheer and festive sweaters to keep their pets warm. >> a few gives we forgot to get. a son asked for a playstation. he is 35 years oeldz. >> reporter: some did wait to the last minute. >> it was complete procrastination and feeling guilty i hadn't spent enough money. i came here and was easy to find stuff. >> reporter: for others, this day is part of a family tradition. >> kind of a fun thing. i like the hustle and bustle. >> reporter: the pandemic and changes that came with it have shifted shopping habits. >> we are giving less. trying to buy more practical gifts. >> reporter: the turbulence of

the past year, a reminder that the greatest gift might just be right here in the present. >> peace and love to all and good will. merry christmas. >> reporter: we heard lots of concerns about the supply chain impacting the holiday shopping this year. everyone who we spoke with here said they were able to get the gifts they wanted right on time. >> thank you. 680 open after a truck crash closed the northbound lanes nearly all day. it happened around 5:30 in the morning on 680 in fremont by the mission boulevard exit. a tanker overturned. 7,900 gallons of gas started to leak. 100 homes had to be evacuated. >> i live a couple black sblock. it smells like gas. sure enough. >> i will show you a bird's eye view of the scene that will pop up here in a second.

the tanker -- they had to offload the rest of the gas. evacuations orders were lifted around 2:30. they did reopen two lanes this afternoon. the rest of the evening just a little bit of a mess. no injuries reported from that crash. after hours of overnight delate, the tenderloin district is under a state of emergency. they voted this morning to approve the mayor's proposal to address the drug problem there. it lasted 90 days and lets the city open a site to receive mental health services and get them off drugs. some voted no as to what they see is a plan to get more police officers. supervisor heard from citizens with concerns. >> this vague emergency order is a trojan horse. it's a plan to flood the tenderloin with police, not social service workers. further harming those who are

underserved and overpoliced. do not pass this order. >> the declaration can be revoked at any time or extended beyond the 90 days. a follow-up on breaking news we shared with you last night. a driver was shot on 680 in danville. it happened around 10:00 p.m., between sycamore valley and diablo. someone in the car opened fire. the driver of the nissan was hit and taken to the hospital with serious injuries. the passenger in the car not hurt. northbound lanes on 680 shut down for three hours as police investigated. we don't have a description of the gunman nor do we have a description of the car involved in that shooting. hundreds of flights have been canceled around the country. the problem is expected to continue. much of it due to a rise in omicron cases among pilots and other staff. sfo had 44 cancellations.

oakland and san jose had one each. we spoke with passengers and a travel agent about what to expect. >> reporter: it's one of the best days of the year for many families reuniting at weeks and months away, now home for the holidays. fran was waiting for her son. >> they are coming from washington, d.c. >> reporter: thousands of families will have to wait a little longer. hundreds of flights have been canceled today, mainly on united and delta. united saying in a statement, the nationwide spike in omicron cases had a direction impact. as a result, we have unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying customers in advance of them coming to the airport. >> i got a text message this morning saying that my flight was canceled earlier. they rescheduled me for now. i'm hoping i can get out now. >> reporter: patrick is one of those passengers trying to get to new jersey.

>> trying to get home. trying to make my mom happy. >> reporter: travel agents say with the rise of omicron, clients have been calling this week to cancel, rebook or to buy travel insurance. >> it's really important to have travel insurance. that's never been more importance than in today's climate. in addition to protecting you while you travel, it is something that's peace of mind before you travel. >> reporter: luckily, most are making it through. fran's son arrived this afternoon just in time for christmas. >> we were worried we were going to get canceled. i think we are the first flight of the day. >> it makes my heart smile. it's my favorite time of year. >> reporter: travel experts say passengers should anticipate more delayed and cancellations into christmas and after the holidays due to this issue. be warn those travellers may have to be flexible with their original plans. pope francis presided over

the traditional christmas eve mass at the vatican this evening. he celebrated the mass before an estimated 1,500 people. he went ahead with the service despite the resresurgence in co cases. cases this week surged beyond 2020 levels in italy. the country set a new daily record with more than 50,000 new cases. we are just hours away from christmas. people were enjoying the holiday today, whether it was last minute shopping, ice skating or just enjoying a day out with friends and family. we caught up with folks in san francisco on christmas eve. >> reporter: downtown san francisco is sparkling with christmas cheer. you can almost say it feels normal. there's a little something extra in the air this year. just about everyone is feeling it. they sayoverwhelming sense of gratitude.

>> there's something different in the air this year. >> it feels different. it feels like it's going back to normal kind of. >> reporter: skaters are rusty. >> people are falling. >> reporter: people brought family. >> my cousin, aunt and niece. >> reporter: to make precious holiday memories after spending last year apart. >> like being reborn back into my family. which is awesome. >> reporter: bringing back old traditions and starting new ones. >> we moved in together immediately when covid hit. to make it work. it worked out in our favor. >> yes. >> i asked her to marry me yesterday. >> reporter: what did they say? >> she said yes. >> reporter: they are not alone. >> we had one proposal today that happens this time of the year. we have another one this evening. >> reporter: this couple

spending their first christmas together. they hope it's the first of many. >> we dated 20 years ago. i dreamed about him three nights in a row. this was less than two weeks ago. >> she came and swooped me up. that hasn't happened before. >> 20 years ago and we are back together. >> reporter: christmas miracle? >> i call it that. yes, a christmas miracle. >> we hope so for them. this christmas eve, apple workers called for a walkout. the group called apple together tweeted a statement calling for better working conditions which includes hazard pay, paid leave and better covid protection. it includes retail workers. employees are asking people not to buy apple products today. unclear how many workers walked off the job. we did reach out to apple for comment but we haven't heard back. we are about to see scientific history being made with a big boost from silicon

valley. if you are up early tomorrow morning, you can see the most powerful space telescope ever on its way to space at 4:20 a.m. our time. >> that's early. with local technology on board, it's going to happen. scott budman shows us the scope of things to come. >> reporter: it's a telescope five times the size of hubble. >> so big that it can't fit in the available rocket. it has to fold up. >> reporter: it has local roots and out of this world goals. >> the first is to observe the very first galaxies. >> reporter: the telescope will be the most powerful observatory ever sent into space. we spoke to go scientists from nasa where the telescope was modelled and the technology powering it was developed about what the scope hopes to see.

>> it's really quite staggering the amount of science going -- that we will see just within that first year. >> reporter: again, we can't stress enough how big it really s. >> wings are on a table of segments. the telescope has to fold up. you get the idea here. to fit into the rocket. >> reporter: early testing was done under extremely cold conditions. >> that's minus 390 something fahrenheit. we had to test it at those temperatures, which was quite difficult. everything shrinks down and things move. >> reporter: the result they hope, an incredible scientific journey looking into both the past and our future. >> what they are like, what their compositions are like, their climates are like. that's going to give us some really interesting insight into our own galaxy. >> reporter: the telescope will eventually be able to see 13.5 billion years into our cosmic past.

it will be able to see planets revolving around other stars in our galaxy as well as black holes in other gal says. scott budman, nbc bay area news. up next, the iconic cliff house in san francisco may be closed but it's not the end of the story. how an artist is bringing some of that history back to life. it's a hot housing market. which zip codes have seen the biggest jump in home values? we will break it down for you. a storm headed for us christmas day. the latest on the time line and the totals coming up in eight minutes. we learn about covid-19,

the more questions we have. the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support.

call 833-317-4673, or live chat at calhope.org today. san francisco's iconic cliff house has seen a lot of history. it hosted generations of visitors for more than 150 years before it closed in 2020. >> we see how an artist is bringing some of the history back to light. >> there's a feeling when you get out here. >> reporter: the west end of san francisco may not be the end of the city that gets all the attention. >> it's thick with history. >> reporter: that history revolves around crashing waves and the famous cliff house. it's an area that's long seemed

like an escape from city life without leaving the city. >> people come when they are feeling bad. a place where people come when they want to celebrate. >> reporter: the pandemic has brought a wave of silence to this old building. last year, the owners of the cliff house restaurant closed up after 47 years after failing to reach a lease agreement with the national park service. the restaurant's historic contents were on the way to the auction block when a group called the western neighborhoods project stepped in. >> we were the group that got together, fund-raised to save over 100 artifacts from the auction in march of 2021. >> reporter: that collection is now here. back at the cliff house in a temporary museum. >> the idea is that you can really experience the history of this place in this place. >> reporter: artifacts tell just one part of a story. images tell another. this visual artist is using pictures to bring that part of the cliff house's story back to life.

every night, as the sun dips behind the fog -- >> thanks for coming out on this chilly night. >> reporter: the windows light up. >> we animate the building. >> reporter: he projects rotating images from the building's history. >> what i'm drawn to is showing the faces of people being here over the decades. the lady eating the corn dog. >> reporter: images of the three versions of the cliff house. the first two burned down. people, picnics, strolls on the beach, playing to the same natural soundtrack as when they were taken. >> you get the broader context of what these people were experiencing when they were here as well because you are feeling the same weather, you are in the same environment. >> we are showing still images and motion pictures. >> add color to them. they move in front of you. the idea is to bring history to life. >> reporter: the installation plays every night from 5:00 to

10:00 p.m., running through april. they are calling on the public to contribute personal photos for an upcoming projection. >> trying to add to the story. bring back some of the stories that you don't normally see. >> reporter: it's the story of a gathering place and its cast of characters. the march of time beating on the west end of the city. >> that's so cool. speaking of cool, very cool and very white. it's a very white christmas in tahoe. look at the piles of snow. they got 26 inches of snow in the past day. there is more on the way. despite a slow start to the season, the resort says it received seven more feet of snow than it did a few years ago. >> all that snow does not bother santa. he can make it through everything. jeff told us gumdrops on his

sleigh make it waterproof. >> how many? >> 75,000 pounds. >> that's insane. so many. we did get a brand-new update just minutes ago on santa. let's show you our santa tracker. we will get you good to go on the rain and the sierra snow. coming in from that santa tracker, he was last seen newfoundland and canada and flying through things quickly here. 47 degrees, spotty rain tonight, no problem there. delivered over 5 million gifts in earlier time zones. more updates on this tonight. check out nbcbayarea.com. a few showers. that's about it. be careful if you are traveling tonight. we are looking ahead towards heavier rainfall as we through christmas morning. if you happen to get a bike, a scooter, anything like that, tomorrow may not be the best day for it. take your time putting it together. we will get breaks eventually on

that rain coming in. 2:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, that heavy rain. then it will pick up over napa at 7:00 a.m. slowly push to the south. 10:00, it's over san francisco. starting to move into the east bay. early afternoon, we will get in on heavier rain toward san jose at 1:00 p.m. we hold on to the chance of scattered rainfall. that's the trend as we head through the next couple of days. rainfall totals with this, as it moves in, half to three-quarters of an inch for most of us. towards san jose, around a quarter to a third of an inch. with this rain coming in, the ground saturated, we will have to watch for isolated street flooding where the trains get clogged. if you approach any water, turn around and head in the other direction. flooding can be super dangerous. right into christmas morning, start off with temperatures in the 40s. down to 45 in south bay.

those chilly 40s for the east bay. san francisco and the north bay, it's so nice it's december, it's christmas and we got some december weather moving in. tomorrow, you are warming up, that's it, 49 in napa, 48 in santa rosa. low 50s across the rest of the map. tomorrow into monday, treacherous travel. could get road closures. might encounter snow as early as auburn. be careful. have fun if you are headed that way. that rainfall, a tenth to half inch sunday. tuesday and wednesday, a quarter inch each day. the bigger thing is low snowfall next tuesday and wednesday. a wild twist in our weather. we will keep you updated on that. look at the temperatures. 40s for highs and low 30s for the mornings. maybe you are getting a heavier

jacket this year. if you don't have an idea for a gift, that's a great idea for a loved one. we will need it next week. >> down to 1,000 feet maybe snow levels? >> maybe lower next tuesday and wednesday. >> we are not just talking hamilton, the usual suspects? we will see snow in places we haven't seen in a while? >> it could be. we need it to hang on. if it does, we could be good. >> exciting. up next, taking a trip to the north pole just got easier. we will take you on board the polar express. >> fun.

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increase. alamida county took five spots in the top ten. it's the north carolina version of the polar express. take a trip to the north pole in north carolina. the trips last about an hour and a half. the chefs and waiters do more than just cook and serve, they also sing and dance. the big moment is when they reach the north pole. >> when the kids see santa, it's something that speaks to everybody. whether you believe or not, the kids light up. normally, they are up against it. they are fogging it. they are trying to get santa's attention. >> so sweet. parents say it's important because it keeps the magic alive for their children. >> fantastic. up next, a special trip to say. vice president harris and the second gentleman sending a message to firefighters. why it was so special for them.

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vice president kamala harris took time to thank first responders. she and the second gentleman stopped by a fire station in los angeles. it has special meaning for the first husband. his brother is a firefighter. harris said their work is noble. coming up tonight, a bay area proud special. we look at the year and the people who made the most out of this second year of the pandemic. that's tonight at 7:00 right

after "nightly news." >> the rain and snow a welcome sight. is it making a dent? napa valley wineries are still suffering. a local farmer takes us through his vineyards and shows us how the drought is impacting his wine grapes. "nightly news" starts right now. have a wonderful christmas eve. enjoy it with your family and be safe. ♪♪ ♪♪ tonight, the holidays colliding with covid again chaos at the airports with travelers trying to get home for christmas amid the record omicron surge hundreds of flights canceled staff out sick

and the ripple effect it's having across the globe. it all comes as the president lifts those tough travel restrictions on eight african nations put in place to help slow the pandemic's spread. plus, the holiday celebrations scaled way back parts of europe locked down another year without tourists in bethlehem. the queen even skipping her traditional christmas. also, deadly winter weather a massive and fiery pileup on an icy interstate 29 million in the path of torrential rain, flash floods and snow. but is it enough to make a dent in those areas devastated by drought? and weeks after historic tornadoes ripped through the midwest, how the love and kindness of neighbors means new hope in one hard-hit kentucky town. and reaching for the stars like never before the countdown to lift-off for a telescope set to travel a million miles. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt good evening