When Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th U.S. president on Monday in Washington, DC, it is likely to be one of the coldest Inauguration Days in the country’s history – prompting an 11th-hour decision to move the swearing-in inside.
Around 200,000 people are expected to descend on the capital for what is usually an outdoor event, but on Monday, temperatures are expected to peak at just 21F (-6C).
On Friday, the president-elect announced that he would be sworn in inside the US Capitol, rather than just outside, which is traditional.
The last time the ceremony was moved inside was Ronald Reagan’s second-term inauguration in 1985 when midday temperatures were 7F (-14C), forcing organisers to cancel the parade in addition to moving the ceremony.
What’s the forecast for Inauguration Day 2025?
While Washington DC’s temperatures were in the mid 40s F (around 7C) on Friday, a plunge of Arctic air over the weekend will cause temperatures to plummet according to BBC Weather Presenter Elizabeth Rizzini.
Low pressure will pull away from North America’s East Coast, drawing down a northerly wind and opening the floodgates for cold air to sink southwards from Canada towards Capitol Hill.
By noon on Inauguration Day, the temperature is forecast to hit 21F (-6C) in Washington and it will feel even colder with a bitter wind chill.
There should be some sunshine as well as a small chance of a few snow showers.
You can keep up to date with the latest forecast on the BBC weather website or on the app.
How does this event compare to previous ones?
The brutally low temperatures will be comparable to those on the second coldest Inauguration Day in history.
In 1961, when John F Kennedy was sworn in, temperatures didn’t get past 22F (-5C) in the afternoon and there was 8 inches (20cm) of snow on the ground.
Heavy snow scuppered President Franklin Pierce’s ceremony in 1853. After overnight snowfall, it continued through the morning. Skies brightened by noon but then shortly after the president took his oath of office, snow started again, ruining plans for the parade.
Similarly in 1909, President William H. Taft’s ceremony was forced indoors due to a storm that dropped 10 inches (25cm) of snow over the capital.
In 1841, President William Henry Harrison was sworn into office on a cold and blustery day. He rode a horse to and from the Capitol building without a hat or overcoat, and his speech lasted one hour and 40 minutes (the longest inauguration speech in history). He caught pneumonia and he died soon after.
Interestingly, Ronald Reagan’s first term ceremony was the warmest January inauguration when the mercury hit 55F (13C).
