As frigid temperatures scour the Midwest, the Republican presidential nominating process will officially start today with Iowa’s caucuses.

The quadrennial contest has been unusually quiet this year, a mark of former President Donald Trump’s commanding lead in the race. An arctic blast dropping the state into subzero temperatures and dumping snow during the final days of the runup didn’t help, either.

But there’s plenty to consider heading into the caucuses, and after years of speculation and maneuvering over who will face President Joe Biden this November, we’ll finally have the first votes tallied.

Here are some things to watch.

WHO WINS SECOND

Iowa appears to be a battle for second place given Trump’s dominance. The real question is whether either of the two Republicans who lead the pack of very distant also-rans can make it a two-person race in the long run.

To do that, they probably need to at least come out of Iowa with a silver medal.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis once talked of winning the state, but he’s lowered expectations to simply having a good showing. With his campaign apparatus in turmoil and funds drying up, he needs a strong finish in a state where its movement conservatives would normally be his natural audience.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s technocratic and consensus-building pitch doesn’t seem tailor-made for Iowa, but the caucuses come just as she gained increased attention and financial support. Her strongest state may be the next one up, New Hampshire, and a second-place finish in Iowa could put her in a strong position as attention shifts to New England.

WHO TURNS OUT

Heading into the caucuses, much of the focus has been on Trump’s strong standing. The surprise may ultimately be more about the turnout and who benefits from the brutal winter storm limiting participation.

After all, the caucus isn’t built for convenience. Those who participate must venture out after dark to one of 1,567 locations, almost always requiring a drive. The roads will be icy, the wind chill will be dozens of degrees below zero. Iowans are a famously hardy stock, but even they may flinch at venturing out in those conditions.

On top of all that, people can be less motivated to vote in contests where winners are seen as inevitable.

On the flip side, Trump’s voters are very motivated to support him. Overall, conservative voters are excited to get 2024 underway — they’re angry at the state of things and see Biden as easily beaten in November.

The comparison will be 2016 when 186,000 Republicans turned out in the last competitive caucus. That’s a small number to have such a huge role in determining the nominee to lead a country of 330 million.