A severe frost blankets several regions in the northern United States this Friday, with a snowstorm causing transportation challenges in states like Iowa, where Republican candidates face the first test of the electoral calendar for this year’s presidential race on Monday.
Meteorologists have warned of “dangerously cold Arctic air” and snowstorms that could affect millions in the northern region, with temperatures expected to drop to -40°C, intensifying the cold with wind chill.
Extreme weather is complicating the lives of Republican candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who are currently campaigning to secure votes in the Iowa caucus, considered the starting point of the 2024 US presidential election calendar.
“We want everyone to be safe,” said DeSantis to reporters at his campaign base in Des Moines, the state capital. “We had to adjust the schedule, but we are working hard,” added the conservative Florida governor and contender against Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the party’s nomination.
Haley, in third place and scheduled for virtual meetings on Friday, implored the Iowa population to go to the polls on Monday despite brutal weather conditions. The regional vote serves as a rehearsal for the election, providing signals about who will assume the party’s candidacy.
“I know it will be -15°F (-26°C) on Monday. I don’t even know what that means. I literally don’t understand it, but I’ll be out there, and I want you there,” said the former governor of South Carolina.
Despite the full efforts of Haley and DeSantis in Iowa, the clear favorite, Donald Trump, maintains a significant lead in the Republican nomination race.
In preparation for the presidential election, Americans choose candidates through a series of regional elections, determining who will represent each party in the December polls.
Several centimeters of snow were expected to cover Iowa on Friday, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerous road conditions. The brutal winter weather also threatens major American football league games this weekend.
“Perilously cold temperatures accompany this storm, making travel more risky,” the National Weather Service reported. Authorities warned of low visibility and accidents causing traffic jams.
Images on social media show white blankets over Iowa and Nebraska. With the expectation of new temperature records, the National Weather Service also cautioned that “wind chills of this kind can cause frostbite on exposed skin within minutes.”
More than 2,700 flights were canceled nationwide, including about 400 at Chicago’s airport, according to flightaware.com, a flight tracking portal.
The severe winter weather also poses a threat to significant American football league games this weekend. The western US is also preparing for snowfall as a storm system clashes with the frigid Arctic air, with predictions of accumulating snow in Oregon, Idaho, and Utah.
These storms follow extreme weather conditions that impacted much of the United States earlier in the week, causing deaths and chaos in the power grid, leaving hundreds of homes and businesses in darkness.