Far-Right Trump Activist Thinks the Deep State Created the Blizzard in Iowa
Now it’s the weather that is rigging votes.
In Iowa this weekend, subzero temperatures and blizzard conditions are wreaking havoc on the caucuses, forcing candidates to cancel events and threatening to keep voters home.
Uncomfortable and inconvenient conditions are not especially unusual for January in Iowa—but that fact isn’t stopping far-right activist and Trump supporter Laura Loomer from insisting that they are actually part of a sinister government agenda. Here’s Loomer on X, explaining how the “Deep State” is harnessing its Queen Elsa-like powers to orchestrate the storm for nefarious political purposes:
Loomer is alluding to a conspiracy theory about the University of Alaska’s High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, which studies the ionosphere. It alleges that the project is actually a front for a top-secret government initiative to control the weather. Proponents of this wild speculation have included former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and Sandy Hook denialist Alex Jones.
Paranoia about HAARP persists, despite frequent and decisive debunking by scientists. As Bob McCoy, director of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, told the AP in 2018, “No, it’s not a weapon, and it couldn’t be…the way high-frequency radios work is that the atmosphere is transparent to those signals. If we made this 10 times bigger and tried, we still couldn’t affect the weather.”
From blizzards to torrential rain, extreme weather dominates across the U.S.
Powerful winter storm systems are wreaking havoc across the U.S. and will continue over the next several days.
Governors in Arkansas, Colorado, New York and Louisiana have already issued state of emergencies in light of the severe weather.
As of Saturday afternoon, some 350,000 customers were without power across several states, according to PowerOutage.us. The biggest share of outages was occurring in Michigan. But large swaths of Wisconsin, Oregon, New York and Vermont were also without electricity.
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 U.S. departing and incoming flights were canceled as of Saturday afternoon, FlightAware.com reported.
A snowstorm in Iowa has also impacted Republican presidential candidates ahead of Monday's caucuses.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis postponed four events on Friday after campaigning in-person north of Des Moines earlier that day, according to The Associated Press. Meanwhile, both former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump pivoted their Iowa events online on Friday. In a video to Iowa voters, Trump said he will try to make it to the state by late Saturday night.
In New York, the Buffalo Bills also rescheduled their home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Sunday to Monday in light of the severe weather.
Dangerous floods threaten New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York
After an evening of heavy rain across the state, New York remained under threat for coastal flooding on Saturday.
In New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, areas near the waterfront and shoreline could receive up to 2.5 feet of flooding. Roads, parking lots, cars and buildings with basements are at risk of being flooded, the National Weather Service said.
A coastal flood warning has also been issued for parts of New Jersey, including Mercer, Gloucester, Camden and Northwestern Burlington, as well as parts of Pennsylvania including Delaware, Philadelphia and Lower Bucks.
Buildings and roads in those areas are at risk of flooding damage, forecasters say, with some roadways becoming "impassable."
Meanwhile, upstate New York and Vermont are forecast to see knee-high snow and strong winds this weekend. Across Oswego, Watertown and Lowville in New York, between 1 to 3 feet of snow is expected to accumulate. The Vermont cities of South Colton and Star Lake will likely see between 6 to 18 inches of snow.
Frost-bite temperatures approach Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi
Frigid cold air is migrating to the South, packing snow, sleet and freezing rain to Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas through Sunday.
"Unfortunately, hazardous cold weather looks to stick around going into next week, with dangerously low temperatures and wind chills persisting through at least midweek," the NWS wrote.
North and central Texas will see temperatures fall significantly below freezing, with some parts of northwest Texas bound for single digits. Montague, Cooke, Grayson, Young, Jack and Wise counties are slated for "life-threatening" cold temperatures from Saturday night to Sunday morning.
Forecasters expect it to also be brutally cold in Arkansas through mid-week, with Saturday being the warmest day "for a while" and Tuesday bringing the coldest morning. The state may see about half a foot of snow or less this weekend. But the real danger is on Tuesday with temperatures as low as -2 Fahrenheit in parts of northern Arkansas. The NWS said to beware of frostbite and try to keep a spare generator at home.
Similar bitter cold will frost northern Mississippi starting Sunday night through Wednesday, including Jackson and Yazoo City. The NWS says prolonged exposure to the low temperatures may result in frostbite or hypothermia. Pipes exposed to the cold may also be risk of damage.
Meanwhile, a winter storm watch will be in effect for west and middle Tennessee from late Sunday to Tuesday morning. Forecasters say Saturday is the last day Memphis will see above freezing temperatures until Thursday. The city is expected to receive between 4-6 inches of snow through Tuesday.
Snow will likely arrive in Nashville on late Sunday through Tuesday, with the heaviest snowfall occurring on Monday. In total, between 2 to 4 inches is forecast for the music city. That snow is not expected to melt until at least Thursday.
Northwest bound for heavy snow, sub-zero temperatures and avalanche threats
A winter storm watch is in effect for a majority of Oregon, southern Idaho and northern Utah. The threat of winter storm conditions has also put northern Nevada on alert.
After blizzard conditions on Friday night, Idaho will continue to experience snowfall on Saturday. Forecasters say there is a 20% chance that this storm will produce more than 10 inches of snow in Boise.
Meanwhile, in northwest Oregon, freezing rain is forecast to intensify and affect more areas on Saturday, which could cause tree and power line damage.
Forecasters say the combination of heavy snow and strong winds may also trigger avalanches near mountains in Colorado. An avalanche watch is in effect until Monday night.
Parts of northern California are under a flood watch until Saturday night. Eureka is expected to see between 2 to 4 inches of rain in coastal plans and valleys, while 5 to 8 inches of rain in higher elevations. The downpour may produce minor flooding and mudslides.
In photos: Weather warnings cover much of Canada and the US this weekend
PUBLISHED 21 MINUTES AGO
From arctic air flowing along British Columbia's coast to extreme cold in the Prairies and storms moving through the east coast, much of Canada and the US are experiencing weather warnings this weekend.
An ice fog hangs over steaming neighbourhoods in Calgary on Saturday
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Ocean water floods Pear Ave. in Revere, Massachusetts as a storm batters the state.JOSEPH PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES
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People watch waves crash over the sea wall in Revere, Massachusetts as a third storm in a week batters the state.JOSEPH PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES
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Workers clear a sidewalk of snow in Des Moines, as record-breaking cold continues to complicate the Iowa caucuses with snowy weather canceling many events.JIM WATSON/GETTY IMAGES
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A stalled car sits in a flooded street in Revere, Massachusetts, amid flooding in low-lying areas and streetsJOSEPH PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES
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A person clears snow in The Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa amid a winter storm warning calling for heavy snowfall.SPENCER COLBY/THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Waves crash over the sea wall flooding the road in Winthrop, Massachusetts, flooding nearby streets.JOSEPH PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES
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A home is surrounded by water after dangerous and damaging weather conditions caused flooding in Port Washington, New York.SHANNON STAPLETON/REUTERS
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Storm waves batter coastal homes as the tide rises in Winthrop, Massachusetts.JOSEPH PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES
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