Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
Some parts of Donald Trump’s inauguration will be moved inside the US Capitol because of the cold forecast for Washington on Monday.
It will be the first time since 1985 – when a cold snap hit Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration – that the inauguration ceremony has been moved indoors.
The president-elect announced the updated plans in a Public Truth post on Friday, saying he had ordered inaugural addressas well as prayers and speeches, which will be given inside the Capitol Rotunda as Reagan did four decades ago.
“There is an Arctic blast covering the country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or hurt in any way,” Trump wrote.
“It’s dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and the hundreds of thousands of supporters who will be out there for hours on the 20th.”
The National Weather Service said an “enhanced winter storm threat” was in place for Sunday afternoon and evening, and predicted 2-4 inches of snow, with conditions “the thinnest” of 4-8 inches.
“Extremely cold temperatures” were expected from Monday through Wednesday, the NWS said on Friday, as it predicted temperatures would be “below freezing” during this period.
The agency is predicting a high of around -5C at 11am local time on Monday, when the swearing-in ceremony begins, with a wind chill of -13C which it warned could cause hypothermia or cold without proper clothing.
Trump said the Capital One Arena – which has a capacity of 20,000 – will be open on Monday for viewing the ceremony, and that he will visit the site, about 2km from the Capitol, after his inauguration.
Other events, including a victory rally at the stadium scheduled for Sunday and the inaugural ball scheduled for Monday night, will continue as planned, the president-elect said.
Trump encouraged supporters who vote to “dress warmly!”
