Inauguration Day could be one of the coldest ever
Spectators and participants in Washington, D.C., on Monday for Inauguration Day will face some of the coldest conditions ever in the wake of a storm with snow for parts of the East.
It’s expected to be one of the coldest Inauguration Days on record, which has prompted the 2025 ceremony to be moved inside.
Fresh in the wake of a storm forecast to bring accumulating snow in part of the Northeast later this weekend, air with origins in Siberia will settle into Washington, D.C., on Monday, Jan. 20 with blustery and dangerously cold conditions, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Presidential Inauguration Day 2025 is also Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and will complete an extended weekend with a true wintry finish for millions of Americans.
The sun rises behind the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, as a rehearsal takes place on the West Front ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
A storm that moved through this past weekend brought several inches of snow to parts of the mid-Atlantic. Snow remaining on the ground will lead to lingering travel difficulties.
The snow on the ground and winds following the storm will create one of the coldest presidential inauguration days since President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for a second consecutive term in 1985.
Reagan’s inauguration holds the top spot in both the coldest and warmest inaugurations since the 1940s. Temperatures were well into the 50s Fahrenheit when Reagan first took office in 1981, while the temperature only reached 17 degrees on Jan. 21, 1985, with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures mainly in the single digits.
Some people venturing into the nation's capital for the event could encounter weather-related travel disruptions. Airline delays due to deicing and winter maintenance on runways are likely into early Monday due to the storm moving through the East.
Crews will likely work to remove much of the snow that falls around the parade route into Monday morning. Still, there may be patches of ice and snow leftover around the city for those traveling to the event.
The greatest impact will be the bitterly cold conditions. Actual temperatures will fluctuate from the upper 10s to the mid-20s on Monday despite sunshine.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will often be in the single digits and can dip below zero at times in open and exposed areas due to winds averaging 12-25 miles per hour with gusts between 30-40 mph in Washington, D.C.
Because of the life-threatening cold temperatures, President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration has been moved indoors.
Those attending will still be outside for many of the events planned, including the inaugural parade, and need to properly dress for the occasion, including multiple layers, hats, gloves and insulated shoes to reduce the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.
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The frigid conditions will last through the middle of the week before easing up. In much of the central and eastern United States, the first part of this week will bring the coldest conditions of the entire winter.
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