WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump may take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather.
“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”
The Rotunda is prepared as the inclement weather alternative for each inauguration in the event of inclement weather. The swearing-in was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Monday’s forecast calls for the lowest inauguration day temperatures since that day.
Alternate plans are required for the more roughly 250,000 guests ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds and the tens of thousands more expected to be in general admission areas or to line the inaugural parade route from the Capitol to the White House.
Trump said some supporters would be able to watch the ceremony from Washington’s Capital One area on Monday, a day after he plans to hold a rally there. He said he would visit the arena after his swearing-in.
The National Weather Service is predicting the temperature to be around 22 degrees (minus-6 Celsius) at noon during the swearing-in, the coldest since Reagan’s second inauguration saw temperatures plunge to 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius). Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in was 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius). Adding to the bite: Wind is forecast to be 30 to 35 mph (48 to 56 kph), sending wind chills into the single digits.
Trump’s inaugural committee and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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AP writers Seth Borenstein, Michelle Price and Farnoush Amiri contributed from Washington.
Denver7 | Weather
The Denver area is at risk for a flash freeze Friday — here's what that means
The Arctic blast will affect Colorado as well. It's already forced changes to Marade plans on Monday.
The Denver metro area will fall below freezing on Friday afternoon and will stay there until Tuesday afternoon at the earliest, according to the National Weather Service. Overnight lows in Denver, not including wind chill, will drop to about -2 degrees early Sunday, about -5 early Monday, and -6 on Tuesday morning. Wind chill values on the eastern plains may reach as low as -30 degrees. Denver could see between 4 and 6 inches of snow this weekend too.
What you need to know to brace for the bitter cold across the state:
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Brutal wind chills in Colorado: Denver's temps to stay below freezing for 115 hours
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It’s going to be extremely cold this weekend. Here’s where you can find shelter across the Denver metro
- Cold weather brings surge in winter gear sales
