Hardy Iowans Brace for Subzero Caucus Night: ‘We’re so used to this’

Des Moines — Jim said it first — it’s freezing in the Hawkeye State! I’m talking icicles hanging from cars, howling winds, and skidding-through-intersections kind of conditions.

Friday’s blizzards prompted some candidates to cancel or reschedule their events, limiting their ability to connect with undecided Republican caucus-goers ahead of Monday’s contest. Right before I filed this, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley was speaking to a tele-town hall with Pottawattamie County Republicans, urging them to “stay safe” and “layer up.”

It’s hard to say which candidate stands to benefit from Monday’s forecast (polls suggest Trump is already well-positioned to win in a landslide). But the “life-threatening” cold and severe windchill (graph pictured below) are likely to deter at least some older and inexperienced caucus-goers, says Ankeny resident and former Polk County co-chair Cheryl Weisheit. She reminds NR that Iowans are “so used to this” and predicts that most sidewalks and roads will be clear by Saturday.

“I think you’d be surprised how many people do turn out,” she adds. “If we got another five, six, seven inches on that day, that would be a problem.”

Other hardy Iowans simply laugh when asked if the weather will dissuade a significant number of caucus-goers from turning out. “You’re talking to somebody that grew up in northern Minnesota!” says DeSantis supporter Bert Loveland of Huxley, Iowa.