DeSantis and Haley barnstorm across frigid Iowa in the final days before the Republican caucuses

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley pushed across ice-cold Iowa Saturday to find voters open to an alternative to former President Donald Trump with just two days before the state's caucuses open the Republican primary calendar.

Trump canceled his two in-person rallies Saturday due to a blizzard blanketing much of the state, scheduling two virtual “tele-rallies” instead. That left DeSantis and Haley, the two strongest candidates of the other Republicans competing in Iowa, with the chance to meet voters in person at several sites. Both were planning to finish the day with events in the Mississippi River town of Davenport.

Trump is the heavy front-runner in Monday's caucuses. Perhaps more important than the margin of Trump’s expected victory is whether either of his remaining top rivals can claim a clear second-place finish and gain momentum as the race moves forward to New Hampshire and other states. DeSantis in particular is under great pressure in Iowa given his campaign's heavy bet on a strong finish in the caucuses.

“You’re going to pack so much more punch on Monday night than in any other election you’ll ever be able to participate in,” the Florida governor told about 60 voters at his first event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the western edge of the state.