Final days of Iowa campaigning snarled by ‘life-threatening’ winter weather

Candidates and caucus-goers faced extra challenges in Iowa on Friday, as the second major snow event in a week hit the state three days before Republicans are due to kick-off their presidential nomination process for the critical election year.

According to the National Weather Service in Des Moines, most of Iowa could expect significant, possibly record snowfall, high winds creating blizzard conditions in some areas.

“Life-threatening winter weather is expected beginning tonight with heavy snow,” the NWS said on Thursday. “White-out conditions likely Friday into Friday night. To follow, extreme wind chills as low as -45F [-43C] possible through early next week. Plan ahead for this dangerous stretch of winter weather!”

In Washington DC and New York, reporters packed thermal underwear and tried to find flights still scheduled. In Iowa, schools and businesses closed. In the state capital, Des Moines Performing Arts announced the postponement of Civic Center shows by the percussion group Stomp.

In Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, a blanket of heavy snow covered the streets overnight and continued to fall early on Friday morning. Save for the occasional car, the streets were largely deserted as the temperature hovered around 15F (-9C). At the local Target, students and other residents were seen stocking up on supplies on Thursday night as snowplows moved what snow had already fallen.

According to Iowa polling, Donald Trump will stomp all over his competitors on Monday. He has however largely chosen to skip in-person campaigning, spending his time in warm courtrooms in Washington DC and New York while surrogates make Arctic treks between churches and town halls.

On Wednesday, Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon who ran for president in 2016 then became housing secretary in the Trump administration, told churchgoers in Davenport backing Trump was OK. After all, Carson said, not everyone in the Bible was “a boy scout”.

Trump – who as president famously confused scouts and angered parents with a speech about partying in New York – faces 91 criminal charges. Seventeen concern election subversion, 40 are for retention of classified information and 34 arise from hush-money payments to an adult film star who claimed an affair.

The former president also faces civil suits over his business dealings and a defamation claim arising from a rape allegation a judge called “substantially true”, and attempts to keep him off the ballot for inciting the January 6 insurrection, one of which has reached the US supreme court.

As reported by the Associated Press, Carson “drew vocal reactions – yeas and nays, amens and laughs – from the friendly room”.

Polling averages give Trump huge Iowa leads: 35 points according to FiveThirtyEight, 36 at RealClearPolitics.

Among his remaining challengers, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor widely held to be surging, canceled in-person events on Friday. At least initially, Ron DeSantis, the hard-right Florida governor widely held to be tanking, forged on.

So did the biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, telling followers: “George Washington braved the weather to cross the Delaware [in snow and ice on Christmas Day 1776, to attack the Hessians at Trenton]. Another snow day in Iowa, another day of events for us … we’ll continue to every last one for as long as we can physically make it.”

Alas for Ramaswamy, who failed to qualify for the final debate in Des Moines this week, his insurgent campaign is widely seen to have run out of steam. He did point to a concern for all candidates, though – that caucus attendance might be hit by the freeze.

“We honor the Iowa caucus process,” Ramaswamy said. “I encourage everyone in these communities to be safe and respect their decisions today, as we continue to do our best to show up.”

Ultimately, with Trump so far ahead, the battle for second between Haley and DeSantis is due to draw most attention. Should Haley win it, thereby teeing herself up for a tilt at Trump in New Hampshire, most observers expect DeSantis to drop out.