The first major winter storm of the season continues to bring snow and strong winds to the Upper Midwest into Saturday. Blizzard conditions will persist in portions of Minnesota and the Dakotas throughout Friday. Snow totals will likely reach over 12 inches of snow under the system’s heaviest snow bands.
The first signs of the coming winter storm have appeared as snow begins to fall in Wyoming. A significant winter storm will roll through the north-central Plains this Friday. A potent system will swing out from the West by Thursday. This disturbance will spin up a strong low pressure tracking through the northern Plains bringing a large area of snow and wind for the end of the week.
Halloween has come and gone. The days are growing steadily shorter and for many areas the peak of autumn color has passed. However, despite a few weeks worth of calm in the tropical Atlantic, hurricane season isn’t necessarily over! November hurricanes are rare but potentially dangerous nonetheless.
That bad weather decreases voter turnout and low turnout favors Republicans have become widely accepted facts in political discourse. This concept fits into various models of voter participation which define the “cost of participation” as the crucial factor. The argument goes that more rain or snow increases deterrent factors such as difficulty traveling to polling stations, discomfort waiting outside in long lines, etc. Democratic voters tend to be less committed participants in the process. For them an increased cost is more likely to tip the scales in favor of staying home.
