Donald Trump will be sworn in as president at a different location this year – the US Capitol – as “bitter” cold temperatures are expected to reach the nation’s capital on Inauguration Day.
Trump announced a change in his plans on TruthSocial, citing National Weather Service forecasts of wind chills and warnings that temperatures could reach “severe record lows.”
“I don’t want to see people hurt or injured in any way,” he wrote. “These are dangerous conditions for tens of thousands of law enforcement officers, first responders, police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters who will be outside for many hours on the 20th.”
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature at noon on Monday local time could reach 22°F or -6°C, and it could reach -6°F or -21°C that evening.
The “Arctic blast” headed for the capital is a “lobe” of the polar vortex, with air coming from Siberia directly over the North Pole and moving across northern Canada, said Anthony Varnell, chief meteorologist at Global News.
But this air moves quickly, giving it little time to adjust. It will continue to move all the way into the United States to affect those along the East Coast, but even as far south as the Gulf Coast.
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“It’s a widespread cold. The polar vortex is involved but the actual vortex itself remains over northern Canada,” Varnell said.
While the temperature may not seem too cold, he said winds will be the big issue with the Nor’easter as it will move off the coast on Sunday bringing wind gusts of 30 to 50 km/h, creating a lower wind chill throughout the day. to about 5°F or -15°C at midday.
Although these temperatures aren’t completely out of the ordinary for Washington, D.C., at this time of year, it’s still “some of the coldest” air they’ve seen in 10 years, Varnell added.
Trump said he had ordered the inauguration address, prayers and other speeches to be delivered in the US Capitol hall.
Dignitaries and guests, including outgoing President Joe Biden and members of Congress, will also be brought into the building.
A spokesman for the committee said on Friday: “The Joint Congressional Committee on Inauguration Ceremonies will respect the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th inauguration ceremony inside the US Capitol to the Rotunda.”
This location has been set up as an inclement weather alternative for every inauguration in the event of inclement weather, including 1985, the last time the ceremony was moved indoors when temperatures at Ronald Reagan’s second swearing-in dropped to 7 F or -14 C. .
Alternate plans are needed for the estimated more than 250,000 guests attending the inauguration from across the Capitol grounds, as well as the tens of thousands more expected in general admission areas or along the inaugural parade route to the White House.
Trump added in his post that the inaugural parade will also be moved to Capital One Arena, which will open on Monday to host the parade and also for people to be able to watch the swearing-in live inside.
“This will be a very nice experience for everyone, especially the large television audience,” Trump wrote.
—With files from The Associated Press.
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