Trump Inauguration Day Ceremonies Moved Into Capitol Rotunda

The mass of Arctic air expected to infiltrate the eastern U.S. beginning this weekend has forced the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump indoors. Trump made the announcement of the change on Friday, citing the weather forecast as the reason for the decision. Here is a look at what you can expect and a history of some of the more notable weather conditions on Inauguration Day.

Trump Inauguration Moved Indoors Due to Cold Weather

Dangerously cold temperatures on tap for Washington, D.C. have necessitated that Trump's Monday inauguration be moved indoors. Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that he has ordered that the official inauguration address, swearing-in ceremony, and other speeches be moved from the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building to the Capitol Rotunda.

Trump also confirmed that his inauguration team will open Capital One Arena on Monday for onlookers to watch the event as well as the following parade. The new president said that he will join the crowd of spectators at the arena after he is sworn in. Trump is also scheduled to hold a rally at Capital One Arena on Sunday.

Forecasters have been warning for days that the nation's capital would be subject to the influx of frigid air diving down from Siberia. Inauguration Day is scheduled for noon on January 20. This year's forecast is predicting that the temperatures will hover in the low 20s at this time. To put this into context, the historical high in Washington, D.C. on this date is in the low 40s.

Winds of 10 to 20 mph in the forecast will make it feel even chillier. Gusts could approach 30 mph at times, sending the real feel readings down to about 10 degrees during the day and well into the single digits after the sun goes down.

Washington, D.C. is forecast to see 1 to 3 inches of snow on Sunday. While the wintry precipitation is expected to clear out in time for Monday's festivities, the snow could present challenges as crews set up for the parade. The snow cover will also amplify the arrival of the cold temperatures.

Thousands of Americans are also expected to descend on Washington, D.C. for the various events surrounding the day. Airline delays will be an issue as deicing protocols are put into effect.

The bitterly cold temperatures are forecast to linger through the middle of the week. Meteorologists are warning that this surge of cold air is likely to usher in the most frigid conditions of the season thus far. Washington, D.C. will top out in the mid 20s again on Tuesday with a forecast high of just 20 degrees on tap for Wednesday.

Thursday will bring a bit of relief to the capital with a forecast high of 30 degrees. Friday's forecast is calling for highs that reach the upper 30s with more seasonable low 40s expected for next weekend. It is predicted to be mostly dry once the batch of snow passes through late Sunday.

Reagan Inauguration Also Held Indoors as a Result of the Weather

Trump is not the only American president to have to move their swearing in ceremony indoors because of Mother Nature. In more recent years, President Ronald Reagan hosted his ceremony also in the Capitol Rotunda because of bitterly cold temperatures in January of 1985.

Reagan's second inauguration in 1985 was the completely opposite of when he first took the oath of office in 1981. During his first term, the temperatures shot up into the 50s. However, the mercury only hit 17 degrees on the date of his second inauguration, prompting officials to move the ceremony into the rotunda. It was a smart move as the temperature at the time of the swearing-in ceremony only registered at 9 degrees, according to records from the National Weather Service (NWS). The parade was canceled completely in 1985 because of the dangerous conditions.

The only other Inauguration Day that saw temperatures struggle to break the freezing mark for a high happened in 2009 when Barack Obama was first sworn in for duty.

The late President Gerald Ford holds the record for the warmest Inauguration Day in history. Ford took over the reins in August of 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon. The summer ceremony meant that the temperatures on Inauguration Day were a toasty 83 degrees.

When it comes to wintry precipitation, William H. Taft’s 1909 inauguration saw almost 10 inches of snow fall on the district. The snow and the wind moved into the region the day before the inauguration, sending winds and telephone poles to the ground. Crews worked overnight to clear out the debris left behind on the parade route. History books detail that it took 6,000 workers using 500 wagons to clear out the snow from the parade route so that the festivities could continue as planned.

About 8 inches of snow also threatened the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961. Hundreds of vehicles were abandoned on the eve of the ceremony as the flakes continued to fly. Former President Herbert Hoover missed the ceremony entirely as he was unable to fly to Washington, D.C. because of the disruptions. While the snow had ended by the morning of the inauguration, the temperatures remained exceptionally cold. The temperature was sitting at 22 degrees at the time of the swearing-in with wind chills landing at about 7 degrees.

The first inauguration held on the now formal date of January 20 was in 1937 when Franklin D. Roosevelt took the oath. This ceremony was distinguished as being the rainiest in recorded history with almost three-quarters of an inch of rain measured between 11 am and 1 pm. Sleet and freezing rain also made it a messy day.

Only Mother Nature knows how the upcoming Inauguration Day will unfold and if any new records will be broken.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.