Plunging temperatures, whipping wind and buckets of snow froze out the final stretch. Forecasters warned of “fairly intense blizzard conditions” throughout much of the Midwestern state, as the National Weather Service (NWS) said wind gusts of 50 to 55 miles (80 to 89 kilometers) per hour, paired with blowing snow, could reduce visibility down to a quarter of a mile.

Monday’s caucuses are the first vote of the 2024 White House race, but the extreme weather was making life difficult for the candidates.

Trump had vowed to show up despite the weather, but ultimately converted planned weekend appearances to tele-rallies “out of an abundance of caution,” his campaign said.

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.

Another two or more inches of snow was predicted for the state, for a total of up to 10 inches in some areas, creating whiteout conditions.