Iowa Caucuses Weather Update: Donald Trump Says Snowstorm Will Hold Out; Forecast Backs Him Up

After expressing some worry over the weekend that an impending snowstorm in Iowa could affect his voter turnout at Monday's Iowa caucus, Donald Trump is telling supporters that the weather is no reason to miss the vitally important voting event. The latest forecast backs up the Republican front-runner's assurances.

The snow should, in fact, hold out, until just after the caucuses, which begin at 7 p.m. local time Monday and should last about two to three hours. According to the latest forecast from the Weather Channel, the snow will not start picking up until 10 p.m. local time in Des Moines and Sioux City. In areas such as Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, snow is not expected until about 5 a.m. local time Tuesday morning. In Davenport, on the far west side of the state, the forecast calls for rain.

"The enthusiasm [from voters] is incredible, and it looks like we are going to miss the snowstorm, which is good news," Trump told "Today" Monday.

This comes after the candidate challenged his supporters over the weekend not to fear the weather in deciding whether to head out to caucus, an apparent reaction to his suddenly slim lead in the polls.

"A poll came out yesterday, I’m leading by only five points. I’m not used to five points,” said Trump at a rally Saturday in Dubuque, where snow is not expected until almost 2 a.m. Tuesday local time. “I don’t like this five points, so you’ve got to get out ... The storm won’t be until Tuesday. So you go through some snow, OK? You’re from Iowa. Are you afraid of snow? Are you afraid of snow?”

Snowy weather was expected to be a bigger problem for the campaigns of Trump and Democratic candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who both tend to draw support from younger, less reliable voters, according to Britain's the Guardian.

“It’s quite simple,” said Sanders ahead of campaign rallies in Des Moines. “If the voter turnout is high, we’re going to win. If turnout is low, we are going to be struggling.”