Iowa Caucus Day: Wind Chills as Low as -40 Degrees

The wind chill could be as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Iowa as voters head to their respective precincts on Election Day.

Record-breaking low temperatures forced many presidential hopefuls to cancel their in-person events over the weekend, days ahead of caucus day as an arctic air blast hit the state, just in time to kick off the Republican primary race.

Per the AFP:

With temperatures in the capital Des Moines around 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-17 degrees Celsius) and expected to plunge further overnight, the streets were deserted on Saturday, except for snow removal workers, according to AFP journalists on the scene.

The storm will be followed by an “Arctic outbreak” of “bitter cold,” according to the NWS, with wind chill falling below -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 Celsius) in Iowa and across the region over the weekend.

A Monday update from the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind chill warning for “portions of north central and northwest Illinois and east central, northeast and southeast Iowa.” It lists dozens of cities: Independence, Manchester, Dubuque, Vinton, Cedar Rapids, Anamosa, Maquoketa, Marengo, Iowa City, Tipton, Clinton, Muscatine, Davenport, Bettendorf, Sigourney, Washington, Wapello, Fairfield, Mount Pleasant, Burlington, Keosauqua, Fort Madison, Galena, Freeport, Mount Carroll, Sterling, Moline, Rock Island, Geneseo, Princeton, Hennepin, Aledo, Oquawka, Monmouth, and Cartha.

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Jason Miller via Storyful

This wind chill warning, which remains in effect well after the Iowa caucuses, into Tuesday, warns of “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 30 to 40 below zero. According to NWS, these temperatures could cause frostbite on uncovered skin in ten minutes:

Many spots across the southern US awoke to dangerous, sub-zero wind chills, and NWS Wind Chill products in effect for 25 states.

If you're in an impacted area, avoid outside activities if possible, and when outside, make sure you wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. pic.twitter.com/OhnUReEJSU

— National Weather Service (@NWS) January 14, 2024

Another warning from NWS adds, “This extreme Arctic air combined with breezy winds at times will continue to create dangerously cold conditions into Tuesday, with wind chill values as low as 35 below zero.”

It remains unclear what effect the subzero temperatures will have on Iowa GOP voters as they head to their respective precincts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, which is 7:00 p.m. in the Hawkeye State.

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