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CLIVE, Iowa, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Blizzard conditions are blanketing Iowa on Friday continuing into Saturday as the Republican Party and its presidential hopefuls make their final pitches before Monday's caucus. Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus begins at 7 p.m. CST Monday at more than 1,600 locations across the Hawkeye State. It gives Iowa the opportunity to be the first state to choose the Republican nominee.
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The results of the Iowa Caucus do not always signal who will win the nomination. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won Iowa in 2016. But it can be an opportunity for candidates to pick up momentum for the next two months of campaigning, Marshall County Republican Party Co-chairman Dave Engel told UPI.
"Iowans sort of take the temperature of these candidates and decide which one they are more like in terms of their values and what they expect them to do," Engel said.
The Iowa caucus is significant because voters are given direct access to all of the candidates as they barnstorm the state, Engel adds.
Many campaign events in rural parts of the state have less than 100 attendees. Voters can then interact directly with the candidates, which Engel said can give them a "more personal" sense of who they prefer.
As the county party's co-chair, Engel has also assessed the candidates closely. He said entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has made "quite an impact" by campaigning hard in the state.
"He's gone everywhere and he's got quite a following," Engel said. "Although some people may not think he's ready to be president, I think he's one of the stars of the Republican Party moving forward."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also impressed Iowans with his "full Grassley" 99-county tour, military background and policies as governor. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley's foreign policy experience and experience as governor have also garnered her support, Engel said.
"And of course Donald Trump has a huge following here," he said. "People like what he did, for the most part, during his first term."
How it works
Much like Election Day, voters participating in the Iowa Caucus gather at their precinct's assigned location. There are more than 1,600 precincts in Iowa, including more than 170 in Polk County, where the capital city Des Moines is located. Some precincts share a caucus location though.
Only registered Republicans are allowed to participate in the Iowa Republican Caucus.
Before voting for candidates, the party must first handle its business. This means selecting delegates for the county convention, rules committee and representatives for each campaign. Engel said this is completed within a few minutes.
The chosen campaign surrogates are each allowed 3 minutes to speak on behalf of their candidate, making a final plea to sway voters to their side. Then votes are cast privately and voters leave.
The process that begins at 7 p.m. CST concludes at about 8 p.m.
County party officials then tabulate the results to report to the state party and announce the results. The ballots will be delivered to the state party on Tuesday.
Engel is expecting 2,000 to 3,000 people at his caucus site at the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse. Voters will begin to arrive between 5:30 and 6 p.m.
'Wild stretch of weather'
Winter weather has hit the state hard in the final week before the caucus. Two winter storms in five days have delivered up to 8 inches of snow.
Most of Iowa remains in a blizzard warning until Saturday morning. Snow and heavy wind are expected to continue until early Saturday morning with wind gusts up to 45 mph creating whiteout conditions.
Some areas may still be cleaning up after a week of heavy snow, but the bigger concern on Monday evening is the cold, said Alexis Jimenez, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines.
"We've got a wild stretch of weather here in Iowa through this weekend into early next week," Jimenez told UPI. "The primary concern for Monday is more the extreme cold."
Jimenez said wind chills of -30 to -40 will set in on Sunday and continue into Tuesday morning in some areas. The National Weather Service describes it as "life-threatening cold."
The two snowstorms have also created hazardous road conditions that could continue to be a factor in Monday's turnout. Ditches filled with snow from the first snowstorm, then glazed over, Jimenez said. The second batch of snowfall is then easier to be picked up and tossed by the wind, diminishing visibility.
Caucus-goers are advised to dress in layers, make travel plans, limit their time outside, cover any exposed skin, notify someone of where they are going and carry a winter survival kit in their vehicles.
Still campaigning
Republican candidates are still on the trail in Iowa as the caucus nears, though events may change due to weather.
Trump is holding "Commit to Caucus" rallies in Atlantic and Sioux City on Saturday and Indianola and Cherokee on Sunday. He will then shift his focus to New Hampshire beginning Tuesday.
Haley has "Countdown to Caucus" events scheduled Friday in Webster, Plymouth and Pottawattamie County. On Saturday, she is in Black Hawk and Scott County, and on Sunday she will be in Dubuque County.
DeSantis has two campaign events scheduled for Sunday in Sioux City and Ankeny.
Ramaswamy is scheduled to host a rally in Council Bluffs on Friday before participating in the Polk County town hall hosted by the Indo-American PAC. On Saturday. he has events scheduled in Spencer, Polk City, Okoboji, Rock Rapids, Orange City, Cherokee and Sioux City.
