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hello, everyone. good morning. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. it is saturday, february 3rd, and i'm amara walker. >> i'm victor blackwell. we begin this morning with new developments out of syria and iraq after u.s. air strikes friday. iraqi officials say at least 16 people were killed in those strikes, and the syrian military says the air strikes caused significant damage to public and private property, killing civilians as well as military personnel there. cnn cannot independently verify those claims. >> the pentagon says bombers hit 85 individual targets used by iran backed militias and military guard. they're in retaliation for the deaths of three american soldiers killed in a drone attack in jordan nearly a week ago. president biden says a launch of air strikes carried out in syria and iraq are only the beginning of the operations.

this is video from what appears to be one of those strikes in iraq early this morning. the mayor of the town says the strikes hit houses used for weapons storage. officials condemned the strikes as a violation of iraqi sovereignty. we have team coverage this morning. cnn's nic robertson and kevin liptak are standing by. we're going to begin with katie. tell us more about the targets, the 85 some targets in iraq and syria. >> reporter: the u.s. military striking a variety of different targets associated with these iranian-backed militia groups, including rockets, missiles and other munitions stores, striking command and control hubs, as well as logistics facilities. but what's significant here, amara, is that these air strikes targeted not only these iranian-backed militia groups believed to have been responsible for the deadly attack on an outpost in jordan last week that killed three american service members, but also targeting the facilities used by iranian officials

themselves embedded with these groups. now, this is an escalation from previous retaliatory strikes in response to what has been now more than 160 attacks on american service members across iraq and syria by these iran backed groups. the united states, of course, we heard from a senior military official last night saying that these targets were chosen, quote, with the idea that there would be likely casualties among not just these militia groups, but also amongst the iranian personnel who use them. this is, of course, intended to send a clear message to iran about the funding, support, training and other support it provides to these militia groups who are carrying out these attacks, knock it off. but the united states is, of course, stopping short of striking iran directly, as some republican lawmakers had urged the biden administration to do, something officials believe would escalate the situation rather than have the deterrent effect that they are looking for. remember, important to

understand here that all of these different iran-backed militia groups receive funding, they receive training, they receive other support, including arms, from iran, and they receive a certain amount of coordination. but iran does not necessarily order any one specific attack and it doesn't have perfect command and control over all of these groups, something that has made the response to these attacks very complex for the biden administration. so the big question going forward now, amara, i think, is not only do these strikes have the impact the biden administration is looking for in stopping these attacks, but also, how does iran respond to the likely -- the targeting and potential killing of its own officers, even not on iranian soil, do they view that as a potential red line that they may feel domestic pressure to respond to, or does it have the deterrent effect that the u.s. is looking for. >> thank you. let's go to cnn's international diplomatic editor, nic robertson. syria is warning that these strikes will further fuel

conflict in the middle east. what else are they saying? >> reporter: yeah, that's their position, and it's probably broadly accurate by iran and iraq, they haven't used that language specifically. they are all sharing, all of those three countries are using the same language, that this is a violation of the sovereignty of iraq, the sovereignty of syria, the syrian military is describing civilian casualties, military casualties, significant damage to civilian property, and also public property as well, privately owned property and public property. but i think we get the strongest understanding of where these groups lie and where the intent lies and how the likely response will shape up from the iraqi government, who have been -- who have spoken more about this, 16 people killed, 25 wounded. you mentioned the mayor of al

qaim on the border who said some of the houses were used as weapons storage facilities by these iran-backed militia and they're saying the united states was speaking to the iraqi government about this prior to the strikes and they say that's not true. but the context of this, in iraq at least, is that the iran-backed militias are incredibly powerful, since 2016, eight years ago, they have been recognized by the iraqi government as government forces. they're not just iranian militias, they are recognized by the iraqi government as their forces. so these strikes against these iran-backed militias are a strike on their own forces, their own government forces. so the language there is very strong, they're not giving an indication about how these iran-backed militias will respond. and the iranian foreign ministry spokesman has said, again, that

this is a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both iraq and syria, and on top of that saying that the united states is violating u.n. charters, which is something that the iraqi government is saying. so a lot of condemnation with political and international diplomatic intent, but no indication how they'll respond militarily. but i think very clear from the language used, if not today, if not tomorrow, if not next week, there will be a response. >> all right, nic robertson, thank you. let's go to wilmington, delaware, where president biden is spending part of his weekend, and cnn senior white house reporter kevin liptak is there. kevin, as we've been saying, the president has been saying, this is just the beginning and there are more retaliatory strikes to come. >> reporter: yeah, very clear this was just the first salvo in the american response to the deaths of those three u.s. service members. president biden making clear last night that there would be

continued action going forward, saying in a statement, our response began today, it will continue at times and places of our choosing. and the president goes on to say, the united states does not seek conflict in the middle east or anywhere in the world, but let all those who might seek to do us harm know this, if you harm an american, we will respond. now, what the next phase of this response looks like isn't exactly clear, and american officials were understandably reticent about describing what we might see happen next in the region. certainly they will want to do an examination on the ground to see how successful they were before determining the next phase. it was interesting, listening to officials yesterday describing how much the weather impacted the timing of these strikes, because there had been a several-day gap between when president biden told us that he had made a decision on how to respond and when we saw this

response actually taking place. and what officials said was that they were looking for clear skies, that essentially made it easier to determine the targets on the ground and to ensure that there were no unintended casualties. at the end of the day, president biden is trying to strike a balance here and to thread a needle. he is looking to deter these groups, to degrade their capabilities, but he's also seeking to prevent a wider war from escalating in the region. you saw this forceful response yesterday, and certainly white house officials are hopeful that this could really make a dent in some of the capabilities of these groups on the ground. but the president did stop short of striking inside iran, something that many republicans were urging him to do. the option taat the end of the y was never a likely one from the get-go. president biden watching carefully, a region very much on edge and hoping not to cause this conflict to escalate any further. >> kevin liptak traveling with the president, thank you very

much. joining me is cnn global affairs analyst and retired colonel cedric leighton. kimberly, help me start with you. how malleable are these plans for phase two or three or whatever comes next from the u.s. based upon the retaliation that is expected from these iran-backed groups? >> from the briefing we got from senior administration officials last night, they are reserving the right to strike when they see a target. that's what it sounded like to me. and this is, in a sense, a creeping widening war. we have the coalition in the south ready to hit any of the houthi targets that attack u.s. and international shipping in that area, and now we've got basically the safeties off throughout the syria and iraq area, putting any iranian-backed group on notice that if the u.s. sees them preparing for any sort

of a strike, they might hit back. so while it's not war with iran, the fact that the white house decided to say publicly we went after iranian quds force targets, that is widening this war. >> colonel, five days between that attack in jordan that killed three u.s. service members and the response we saw yesterday at about the 4:00 p.m. eastern hour. that obviously gave time for some of these islamic resistance militia groups to scatter or to hide or to move. but what was the advantage, if any, for the u.s., to the u.s., over those five days as they came up with this plan of how to retaliate? >> good morning, victor. the main advantage in this particular situation was that it allowed the u.s. to more precisely hone their targeting list, and it would also be a key factor that they could make sure that everything was ready from a

weapons perspective, so you use that time for these things, but there's always from a military operational perspective, it becomes an advantage if you can, within a certain limited time, make sure that not only is everything ready, but that you have picked the right targets, that you go over the target lists again and again and make sure that those target lists are the ones you really want to strike. >> colonel, let me stay with you and the use of the b-1 bomber for these strikes. along with the capabilities, being able to fly from the u.s. to the region nonstop, the payload capabilities of this aircraft, it's suited for this mission. but what was the strategic message, if any, to iran that this was the jet that was used? >> when the iranians saw that these were the aircraft that were coming in, when they were able to discover that, they

realized what the u.s. is showing is that it still has the capability to project its power intercontinently, and it will be the same aircraft, the b1, that would be used if they were going to strike iran. we made it clear in the run-up to this strike, this response, that we would be not striking iran, that we would stay clear of them, and we did that. but we used the weapons system that would be capable of doing that. so there was a message to the iranians that they were ready to go in if we needed to, but we decided we didn't need to and it was a message that we have the capability, we're willing to use it at a time and place, as the president said, of our choosing. >> kimberly, the iraqi government has wanted the u.s. troops out of iraq, the prime minister has said that the u.s. presence is destabilizing, they now say that the strikes that occurred in iraq were -- let me

get this right -- a violation of iraqi sovereignty. i wonder, does this escalate that timeline? i mean, there wasn't a hard timeline going into this, but now does this make it more likely that there will be for u.s. troops to leave? >> well, the u.s. and iraq had been discussing some sort of potential withdraw of u.s. troops, but the thought was that this was about releasing the public pressure that he was feeling about the u.s. and international presence because the troops are there at the invitation of the iraqi government. this strike might make it harder to stay on the side of coming out at the end of negotiations with a new status of forces agreement that would allow the u.s. troops to stay, but with more limits on their ability to operate without the permission of the iraqi government. now we are in a situation where the u.s. has said, you know, we've asked and asked and asked

you to control these paramilitary forces that are partly under iraqi government control, but largely funded by iran and backed by iran. you haven't done it, so we've had to take action. >> colonel, what do you expect is next? we're 14 hours on from the strikes yesterday. what, or whom, do you think, will be targeted next? >> they're going to hit the same kind of targets we hit in the initial wave. i think that wave depends, but it could happen in the next day or so, or there could be a pause. there's a weather system that's moving through the area that could impact what we do from a targeting perspective, and that very fact, it could limit our second phase response. but it is something that i think will be a rolling bit of targets, because at this particular juncture we've let it

be known that the kinds of actions that the iranian proxies have been engaged in have been unacceptable and i think this response is going to be one that's going to be sustained for maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months. >> retired colonel cedric leighton and kimberly dozier, if you. south carolina's primary is today and president biden is hoping for the backing of black voters in the state once again. we're going to take a look at whether he still has their strong support. plus, southern california is bracing for dangerous flooding as another powerful atmospheric river-fueled storm is set to hit the state.

the polls will open in south carolina at the top of the hour, as the state holds its first in

the nation democratic primary. democrats made south carolina their first official primary state this cycle and it's the first time that delegates will be awarded. 55 democratic delegates are at stake. however, president biden will be on the other side of the country today, visiting los angeles for a fundraiser. >> for the republicans, nikki haley will actually be in south carolina herself this weekend to drum up support. south carolina's republican primary is in three weeks, february 24th, and haley is trying to stave off a potential loss as former president trump continues racking up wins. president biden is zeroing in on the coalition that helped elect him in 2020, but support from a crucial group, black voters, may be slipping. >> polling of key battleground states indicates weakening support, specifically among black men. cnn's eva mckend spoke with some voters in south carolina about their concerns heading into the election. >> reporter: saturday south carolina's primary will serve as an early test of president joe

biden's standing with a loyal constituency, black voters. >> you're the reason i'm president. you're the reason kamala harris is historic vice president. and you're the reason donald trump is a defeated former president. >> reporter: while the president is expected to win the first official democratic contest, the results could signal how much work he has to do to shore up support with a critical piece of his coalition, ahead of an expected rematch with donald trump in november. >> we need somebody who speaks to black americans in the united states, and i don't think that either are doing so. >> reporter: gabriele is a server at hannabal's kitchen. >> i've seen the hardships black people go through and no one is addressing that, and economically we are at the

bottom. >> reporter: not even facetime with the president has changed her mind. her economic anxieties too great. >> we need a candidate who is going to stand up and stand up strong for us, or we're voting for the couch. >> reporter: so you're considering staying home and not voting? >> yes, a lot of us that. >> history reminds us to never forget there was a time when we did not have that choice. >> reporter: dr. matthews is the ceo of the international african american museum in charleston. she says black voters have created the organizing power to elevate issues vital to them, like fair wages, housing development and small business support. >> we think about the ancestors who died to fight for this, we also think about aunts and uncles that are currently poll workers, when we see encouragement or strong turnout or strong voices in places like south carolina, it is a note to the rest of the country, not just to other black voters, that pl black voters are paying

attention. >> reporter: the significance is not lost on this shop owner, who met biden last month with other south carolina entrepreneurs. with this administration, she says she feels like she has a seat at the table, and her voice is valued. >> i think that we have to be able to step back and think a little more long term. yes, four years, eight years, feels like a long time in my lifetime, but we think about these changes and how they are hopefully going to be impacting the next generations to come. >> reporter: she worries about what another trump presidency would bring. >> it could be chaos all over again. there were days that i just would wake up as a person of color in this state and fear for my life, and that shouldn't be the case for anyone. and so, of course, there are definitely worries and fears. >> reporter: national democrats are leaning into those concerns, hoping they will motivate voters to turn out, while also making an affirmative argument for biden. >> diabetes and heart attack, there are a lot of ways that we've been trying to make things

more affordable for working people. student loan debt. we have seen the lowest unemployment for black folks in 50 years. we've seen this president work to cut childhood poverty in half, particularly in black communities. [ cheers and applause ] . >> reporter: many are ready to give biden another four years to continue making the case. >> i'm always in support of biden because on the inside, i think he's fair. on the inside, i think he's fair. i don't think barack obama would have had him a part of the team if he wasn't. and i'm a firm believer of barack obama. >> reporter: but it may not be enough to convince some black voters weary of supporting democrats again. >> i'm telling black people, stay home. >> reporter: eva mckend, cnn, columbia, south carolina. >> thank you very much. with us now is the national

political reporter with the "associated press." good to see you. good morning. south carolina, the democratic primary is not going to be a nail-biter, we all know to expect that biden will easily win there. it's going to come down to how much he is able, biden is able to maintain that strong support from black voters, right? what are you saying? >> that's absolutely right. it's good to be with y'all. you know, we haven't seen the campaign really talking about exactly what number they want to hit in south carolina, certainly, as you note, they expect to win and win by large margins. in 2020, joe biden won here with a much bigger field of democrats and not as an incumbent with 49%. so certainly something above that would make the campaign feel good. but, also, as was noted in the previous reporting, this is more signaling toward the states that follow south carolina, not just with black voters, but they do play an outsized role in the democratic electorate here. joe biden is a good bet and he wants to stand up for you and

this could carry forward into other states that will follow. but there are a lot of frustrations, as voiced by some of the voters you talked to. looking at this first term that he's had in office, feeling that some promises haven't been delivered on, and so for the biden campaign, they are hoping for a strong showing that will forecast the message into the following states, we're working on it, just give us four more years. >> it's always great to hear from the voters directly, as we heard from the piece there in south carolina. it has to be concerning for the biden campaign as you look at the polls and slipping enthusiasm amongst black voters nationally. a pew poll found that 48% of blacks nationally approved of biden, 49% disapproved. if you look at this number compared to last january, the approval rating amongst black americans was 60%, so, again, enthusiasm is slipping. is his campaign -- has his campaign been effectively

addressing the reasons for this in south carolina ahead of this primary? >> so much of what i hear is driven by the voters who are telling me some are very happy and some are very frustrated. but, again, the campaign is talking about the need of we need more time to get this done, as the president often says, i want to deliver on these promises for you, but this is what i've been able to get through, i've had, obviously, not a fully democratic congress able to pass some of my initiatives. so that is bringing all of those things in together saying, yes, we are working on it, we have all these issues. representative jim clyburn, one of his biggest surrogates, often talked about caps on insulin costs, which is something delivered to everybody, but of particular note when he's speaking to black voters here. they're frustrated, maybe, by not having that broad support that was noted in years past, but certainly hoping that with

south carolina they can kick it off strong. >> let's listen to nikki haley now, the lone republican challenger, as she looks ahead to the republican primary in south carolina which happens later this month. she's clearly amping up her attacks against trump. listen. >> it is unconscionable to me that a candidate would spend $50 million in legal fees. it explains why he's not doing many rallies. he doesn't have the money to do it. it explains why he doesn't want to get on a debate stage, because he doesn't want to talk about why he's doing it. >> and that was nikki haley there this week speaking with jake tapper. she attacked trump on character, his age and all sorts of things. she raises a good point, that trump, his political action committees are spending over $50 million on his legal fees. but, also, with nikki haley, she's also losing some prominent donors when it comes to fundraising. how are things looking on that end for both of them, especially

haley as she tries to keep her candidacy viable? she needs money to continue to come in. >> for nikki haley that's absolutely right, she needs to continue bringing in that money and that's something that we have seen her doing, making a trip to new york and also south florida for fundraisers. next week she's heading out to california to do a little campaigning but also to be raising money. that is going to be critical not just to get her to the south carolina primary three weeks from today, but also forward into the places that follow and if she can make it to super tuesday. the money is critical for the trump campaign. clearly she's going to be hammering him in terms of how much he has to spend for legal cases. the rallies are expensive, we've heard advisers say they can cost a million dollars apiece. we're thinking about the big scale trump events we've seen, that is certainly something that's a consideration and maybe a reason we have seen a few more small scale events the former

president has put on. >> i want to give a shout out to one of the articles you wrote about how haley has navigated the delicate topic of race as the daughter of indian immigrants. through this campaign at least, there has been some contradictory messaging, depending on who she's talking to. >> she has frequently referenced her own personal experiences with prejudice, talking about things she experienced as a child growing up in rural south carolina, as well as her family at large, being an indian american family where that's not a super commonplace circumstance. for nikki haley, she does project the notion that there's systemic racism in america and that's kind of the bifurcated issue we've seen her addressing, saying that america is not a racist country, and then saying recently that it's never been a racist country, and then kind of putting that with her history, bringing down the confederate flag in south carolina, making that argument after a racist massacre at a black church in 2015. all of those kind of things go

together with kind of this delicate balance, really, that she's been trying to find, talking about her own situations, but also trying to portray america as a more united place. >> meg kennard, great to see you. the jennifer crumbley trial is wrapping up. this is a unique case. the jury will decide if she's criminally responsible for the death of her son's victims after he went on a shooting spree.

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with this great offer. plus, ask how to get up to $1000 prepaid card with qualifying internet. more of our top story this morning, syria is warning the u.s. that air strikes could fuel middle east tensions in what they called a very dangerous way. the u.s. says the air strikes targeted 85 strategic points across seven locations overnight in iraq and syria. iraq says the strikes killed at least 16 people, including civilians, injured 25 others. cnn cannot independently verify those numbers. the air strikes were in response to a drone strike by

iran-backed militants on an american military base in jordan that killed three american service members and injured more than 40 other people. turning to a pivotal moment in a novel legal battle, a jury is set to start deliberating next week in the involuntary manslaughter trial of jennifer crumbley. the face captured national attention in 2021 when her son ethan shot and killed four classmates at oxford high school in michigan. >> the gun used was a christmas gift from ethan's parents and jennifer crumbley's trial is the first time a parent is potentially facing jail time because of a child's actions in a mass shooting. her husband is scheduled to be tried next month. >> we actually saw the last day he was practicing to kill four of his classmates, and there was only one person with him, ladies and gentlemen, and her name is jen

jennifer crumbley. >> it was unforeseeable. no one could have expected this, including mrs. crumbley. >> reporter: attorneys making their final pitches to persuade the jury in this historic trial of the mother of the oxford michigan school shooter. >> she walked out of that school when just the smallest, smallest of things could have saved, could have helped hanna and tate and madison and justin. just the smallest of things. and not only did she not do it, she doesn't even regret it. the crumbleys' son was a skilled manipulator and they didn't realize it. he's not sick, he doesn't have a mental illness. no parent would purchase a weapon if they believed their child had mental illnesses. >> reporter: before closing arguments began, jennifer crumbley faced cross-examination, testifying

she knew her son was acting depressed after his friend moved away just one month before the shooting. >> in november of 2021, he had no peer support. >> i don't know what he had in school. he told me he had friends in school he talks to. >> you never met them, though? >> no. >> and he didn't have any clubs at school he was a part of? >> no. >> reporter: jennifer crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. she has pleaded not guilty. the prosecution pressing crumbley on her actions the day of the shooting, that morning the school called in jennifer crumbley and her husband, after discovering a violent drawing their son made on his math worksheet. >> what about the thoughts won't stop, help me? >> that was concerning to me. >> blood everywhere, and there's a bullet, and actually you were the one who bought the bullets. >> correct. >> you later came to learn those bullets were used in the shooting. >> i did. >> reporter: in the meeting at

school, crumbley did not mention the gun purchased for their 14-year-old son. >> you didn't tell them you had gotten that christmas gift. >> i didn't think it was relevant. >> you didn't go home to look for that firearm after the meeting at the school? >> we wouldn't have a reason to. >> reporter: her son used that gun to kill four of his classmates, madison baldwin, tate mere, justin schilling, after that meeting. the prosecution asking crumbley whether she neglected her son, pointing to how often she spent time with her horses. >> your son could have been with you those three, four, five times a week when you were at the barn? >> he could have, yes. >> and on november the 30th of 2021 at 12:51 p.m., you could have been with him? >> i could have, yes. >> and you didn't? >> no. >> reporter: in closings, crumbley's lawyer dismissing that argument. >> just because she spends money

and time on horses doesn't mean she doesn't love her son. >> reporter: closing arguments concluded late friday afternoon. the jury will return on monday to hear instructions from the judge and then they will begin deliberations. amara, victor. >> thank you. coming up, the fulton county d.a. now acknowledges a personal relationship with the lead prosecutor in donald trump's election subversion case. why she says that does not disqualify her from the case.

district attorney fani willis is acknowledging a personal relationship with the lead prosecutor she hired as part of donald trump's election subversion case, but says she did not benefit financially. >> both willis and nathan wade responded in court filings, rejecting the accusation that their relationship created a conflict of interest. wade says the relationship started in 2022 after he was brought on to the prosecution team. cnn's vnick valencia has more. >> reporter: fulton county d.a. fani willis responding for the first time in an explosive court filing last month accusing her of an improper romantic relationship with her top deputy, writing in response, while the allegations raised are salacious and garnered the media attention they were designed to obtain, none provide this court with any basis upon which to order the relief they seek, and for the first time both she and wade acknowledging they developed a personal relationship in addition to a

professional association and friendship. but they said that happened after willis appointed wade in 2021 to investigate efforts by donald trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election in georgia. and willis strongly pushed back against defense attorneys who she says are wildly speculating that she somehow benefitted financially from the arrangement. willis also addressing allegations that wade paid for them to take lavish vacations together with money he earned on the case, writing, financial responsibility for personal travel taken is divided roughly evenly between the two, with neither being primarily responsible for expenses of the other, and all of the expenses paid for with individual personal funds. a hearing on the alleged conflict of interest and the effort to disqualify willis is scheduled for february 15th, where willis and some of the colleagues could be forced to testify. but willis argues in her response that such a hearing is unnecessary and she continues to defend wade's appointment as her top deputy, like she did the last time she spoke publicly in

church in january. >> the black man i choose has been a judge more than ten years, run a private practice more than 20. >> reporter: well known atlanta attorney randy kessler told cnn that her response was smart. >> i think it was the right thing to do. she came out and said, look, we had a relationship, it wasn't before i hired him and it's not a terrible thing. we worked together, developed a relationship, but it's a distraction, let's put it aside and focus on the real issue. there's no conflict, there's no legal reason why i can't prosecute this race. >> reporter: mike roman and his attorney are pushing back saying they want the opportunity to cross-examine wade. they say she's not being truthful and is trying to dismiss a member 15th hearing to discuss the claims further. >> thank you very much. still to come, a powerful storm is expected to bring flooding and heavy mountain snow to california. the forecast after the break.

the cnn original series "the many lives of martha stewart" returns tomorrow with its final episodes. here is a preview. >> this is showing that a good idea can lead to an excellent company, can lead to a wonderful ipo. >> it also can lead to jealousy, people not liking people who succeed and people who go after you. >> that seems to be the american way, doesn't it? >> i thought that things were going along just great, a wonderful family, a beautiful daughter, a fantastic business. >> what have you had that was a failure? because you've been so successful, there has to be something that didn't go right. >> in business, not much. >> not much? >> no. >> martha stewart was at the

height of her wealth, the height of her glory. she could do no wrong. >> and then something like this happens. >> questions these days for martha stewart. >> a federal prosecutor says martha stewart is among investigation for suspected insider trading. >> all of a sudden here was martha stewart, a picture of perfection, and she's under investigation by the feds. it was shocking. >> the final episodes of "the many lives of martha stewart" air tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. they say it never rains in southern california. i was going to sing it but decided against it. l.a. is going to get drenched this weekend. some areas could see several months' worth of rain in the course of a few days that would set up potentially illegal flooding. >> california is still drying out from storms earlier this

week. this is a video of a soaker in the bay area. meteorologist allison chinchar is joining us. this is shaping up to be a significant form. >> and some of these places had record rainfall on thursday and some had the wettest january on record. the ground is already saturated before this moisture arrives. it's going to start across central california before shifting the bulk of the moisture into southern california as we wrap up the weekend and head into the early upcoming week. for some areas you're looking at a level 3 atmospheric river producing a substantial amount of not only rain, but also snow. but since we have the saturated ground already, that's going to exacerbate the potential for flooding. you've got flood watches that exist for pretty much up and down most of the state of california. but it's going to be spread out over different days. the focus today is mainly across portions of the coastal areas of central california. by sunday it still includes those, but we start to see a shift into southern california and we also start to pick up additional moisture, increasing

the threat up to a moderate risk. by monday, similar area of concern, mainly focused across southern california. the reason why, we're talking widespread areas of 2 to 4 inches of rain across the state, and then the snowpack is going to be measured in feet. when i say that, i mean 3 to 4 feet at a minimum in some of these areas. >> wow. allison chinchar, thank you. we'll be right back.

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