The Iowa caucuses are set to begin at 7 p.m. local time Monday. As they do, a winter storm will be barreling down on the Hawkeye State.
A wintry mix will likely already be impacting parts of the state Monday afternoon, according to AccuWeather.com.
“Enough snow and a wintry mix will occur to make roads slippery in the southern third of Iowa as people are heading home from the caucuses,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. “The worst of the storm will overspread the state later Monday night into Tuesday.”
According to recent research of how weather has affected voter turnout at presidential primaries in Florida, New Hampshire and South Carolina, inclement weather is an added factor that could deter swing voters.
The research, conducted by AccuWeather Business Intelligence Manager and Meteorologist Tim Loftus, analyzed overall weather trends and voting data, utilizing L2 as a resource.
Rain is not necessary to deter voters, but uncomfortable conditions, such as frigid or hot and muggy weather, do play a role, according to Rosemary Radich, AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions business intelligence manager.
“Women [voters] tend to be affected by the cold more than men,” Radich said, adding that the conditions expected for the Iowa caucuses could be detrimental to the female vote.
Candidates like Bernie Sanders who target young people may also feel an impact. Voters between the ages of 18 and 24 have higher turnout rates when the weather is sunny and warm.
– Information from AccuWeather.com
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