January Inaugurations have been plagued by severe weather with rain, sleet, snow and high winds. This bitter cold has led to Donald Trump's ceremony heading inside in Washington DC.
Any outdoor events planned for late January could expect impactful winter weather and plans in Capitol Hill have had to adapt ready for the 47th United States Presidential inauguration. Arctic air is reaching south and east across continental United States. “Several new daily record low temperatures are expected, including new record-low maximum temperatures.” NWS
Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony has moved inside for Monday 20th January 2025 citing the bitterly cold weather and concern for attendees and emergency workers.
“It is my obligation to protect the People of our Country but, before we even begin, we have to think of the Inauguration itself. The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows. There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!).” Donald Trump TruthSocial
The NWS (National Weather Service) headline focuses on “Dangerous Cold Weather for Most of the Country” with a rare Winter Storm for the South and ongoing Fire Weather Concerns for Southern California.
The forecast for Capitol Hill on Monday 20th from NWS
“Mostly sunny, with a high near 24F (-4C). Northwest wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph” and a Cold Weather advisor starts in the evening.
...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST TUESDAY...
* WHAT...Very cold wind chills as low as 5 degrees below zero (-20C) expected.
* IMPACTS...Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. Wind chill values can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.
The weather on January 20th can vary hugely year on year.
Donald Trump also mentioned that Ronald Regan moved inside for his 1985 inauguration which was the coldest on record (records back to 1871) and a huge contrast to Regan’s first one.
1981 Warmest January inauguration. Noon temperature was 55°F (+12.8C) under cloudy skies. Ronald Reagan's first inauguration.
1985 Coldest January inauguration (Jan. 21). Noon temperature was only 7°F (-14C). Wind chill temperatures in the afternoon were in the -10 to -20°F (-26C) range. Ronald Reagan's second inauguration ceremony was held indoors and the parade was cancelled.
Strengthening jet with surface pressure chart for midweek
This cold weather won’t reach the UK but it will enhance the jetstream. This cold Arctic air mass will meet milder tropical air over the Caribbean and Atlantic. This dramatic temperature contrast will enhance and fuel the jetstream way up in the atmosphere. As that powers across the Atlantic this week, surface low pressures will deepen rapidly as they are steered towards the UK and NW Europe. So although we won’t get the bitter cold, this Washington DC cold does feed into the atmospheric patterns that will result in potentially wet and very windy for us on Friday and at the weekend.
Other Extreme Weather for Past Inaugurations from NWS
1841 President William Henry Harrison gave his speech for nearly two hours and rode to and from the Capitol without a coat or hat. He developed pneumonia after a cold and died a month later.
1853 President Franklin Pierce was sworn in on another cold but also snowy day. The outgoing First Lady Abigail Fillmore became ill after sitting in the cold, wet exposed platform and died later that month
1909 saw a storm with 10” snow for the Capitol for President William H. Taft's ceremony in 1909. The city came to a standstill as strong winds brought down trees and the ceremony was forced indoors due to the winter storm
In 1937 Roosevelt had a cold, rainy day as the ceremony first moved to the 20th of January. There was sleet and freezing rain
“At the president's insistence, he rode back to the White House in an open car with half an inch of water on the floor. Later, he stood for an hour and a half in an exposed viewing stand watching the inaugural parade splash by in the deluge. Total rainfall for the day was a wet 1.77 " and this amount remains as the record rainfall for January 20th.” NWS
In 1961 8” of snow fell causing a severe traffic jam as cars were abandoned and official plans were cancelled. “Former President Herbert Hoover was unable to fly into Washington National Airport due to the weather and he had to miss the swearing-in ceremony.” Frantic efforts to clear the snow continued all night ready for a cold inauguration day for JF Kennedy with 8” of fresh snow lying on the ground.
Insomniac here so just thought I'd post a last one about the cold across the pond which might be the last real severe one this season, extremely cold across the northern plains of the States. Life threatening actually to be out long in it and...
raz.org.rain 2017 was generally not memorable.
Jan-Feb like this year we’re fairly dull and anticyclonic. March was very mild but again dull and I don’t think we hit 20C unlike 2012. April I don’t recall. May-June was the highlight and largely warm...
Catbrainz I’d agree with this, the summers had a fairly average mix.
Summers 10, 16, 17 and 19 were basically average overall. Summers 10 and 17 were warm early-cool late, summer 19 was a sandwich, summer 2016 was dull but mild throughout.
Summers 11...
*Stormforce~beka* Hope not!
A cold and dry night with mostly clear skies.
Temp -0.2c
I have been listing constantly since the beginning of September and even before that. And FINALLY I have just listed the last of my nans stuff for sale out of my garage!! She died in 2019 pre covid so it's been in there a long time! Feels amazing!!
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