‘Intense’ US blizzard blows lowa caucus campaigning off course

DES MOINES Plunging temperatures, whipping wind and buckets of snow derailed the final stretch of caucus campaigning in the American state of Iowa on Jan as Republican presidential hopefuls delivered their last pitches to voters.

Forecasters warned of "fairly inblizzard conditions" tense throughout much of the Midwestern state, as the National Weather Service (NWS) said gusts of 80km to 89km per hour, paired with blowing snow, could reduce visibility to 400m.

The extreme weather was making life difficult for White House hopefuls Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who both cancelled events just days before the caucus in Iowa on Jan 15 the first vote of the 2024 White House race.

"We want everyone to be safe," Mr DeSantis told reporters in the state capital Des Moines.

The wind was howling very strongly in the city, where the temperature had fallen to minus 14 deg C. The storm will be followed by an "Arctic outbreak" of "bitter cold", according to the NWS, with wind chill falling below minus 43 deg C in Iowa and across the region over the weekend.

Another 5cm or more of snow had also been predicted for the state, for a total of up to 25cm in some areas, creating whiteout conditions.

Dozens of cars and trucks were seen overturned in Des Moines, and the Iowa State Patrol said on social media they had performed 436 "motorists assists" on Jan 12 before 10pm.