It’s going to be super cold on Inauguration Day when President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Monday. Washington, D.C. is expecting a blast of cold air known as a polar vortex. The temperature at noon, when the ceremony starts, is likely to be in the low twenties—twenty degrees colder than usual for this time of year. There might be some rain, which could turn into snow just before the big event on Monday. However, Monday itself will be dry but windy and very, very cold.
If the weather predictions are right, this could be the coldest Inauguration Day since Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration back in 1985, when it was only 7 degrees! That’s much colder than Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, which was 28 degrees. The wind on Monday will add to the chill, making it feel around 10 degrees or colder.
This cold weather is due to an arctic air mass coming down from Canada. Many people across the United States will experience temperatures up to 30 degrees below normal during this chilly time of year. Out of the 58 years of inaugurations, 22 have happened on January 20. If the temperature is 24 degrees on Monday, Donald will be the third coldest president at their inauguration. The coldest ever was John F. Kennedy’s in 1961, when there was 8 inches of snow!
Interestingly, President Reagan holds the record for both the coldest and warmest January inaugurations—his first in 1981 was a warm 55 degrees!
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