Inauguration Day weather forecast to be one of the coldest in 40 years

Not since the swearing in of President Ronald Reagan on January 20th, 1985 has an Inauguration Day been held indoors. That was 40 years ago.

Dangerously cold weather is expected in Washington D.C. this Monday, with highs in the low 20s and overnight lows dipping to around 5° F. Wind chills are expected to hover around 12º F - 14º F. During a typical inauguration, a normal high temperature for January 20th in Washington DC is 45° F. A normal low temperature is around 30° F. Inauguration organizers say long term exposure to those types of temperatures can be dangerous.

Very cold Inauguration Day temperature:

20°F with wind chill of 7°F with brisk Northwesterly winds.

Dangerous cold for visitors from warmer climates. Please be very careful outside -- bundle up! pic.twitter.com/HLeEQqQgoo

— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) January 15, 2025

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday which has created a logistical nightmare for organizers, according to the White House. More than 250,000 spectators are ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds and tens of thousands more were expected to be in general admission areas or to line the inaugural parade route from the Capitol to the White House.

The frigid weather pattern is expected to send temperatures plunging across more than 30 states, with millions of Americans scrambling to stay warm.

Here in Florida, the Arctic blast will start to move in early next week, with most of the State getting some type of impact for several days. North Florida and the Panhandle are expecting a wintery mix that could include freezing rain, snow and dangerous ice.

1/18 5:30pm - Much colder air arrives late Sunday night and lingers into next week.

Dangerous wind chills and hard freezes are likely beginning Sunday night and last through the week.

Beginning Sunday night, protect the 4 Ps: People, Pets, Plants, Pipes!#ALwx #FLwx #GAwx pic.twitter.com/1e2vPieZLe

— NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) January 18, 2025

Inauguration Day used to be held in March but was moved to Jan. 20 in 1937. President James Monroe started outdoor inaugurations after the War of 1812, and after British forces burned the Capitol building. Inaugurations have been held outdoors, almost exclusively, since Andrew Jackson.

This Monday’s Inauguration, which is also Martin Luther King Day, is expected to look very similar to President Reagan’s inauguration in 1985 with a combination of indoor and outdoor activities. During President Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in, the temperature was 28°.

To read more about Inauguration Day weather facts and interesting info from the National Weather Service, click here: Historical Inaugural Day weather facts and info