Presidential
Inaugural Weather
What
is Normal Weather for January Inauguration?
- Normal high
temperature for the day is in the low to mid 40's.
- Normal low
temperature for the day is in the mid to upper 20's.
- Normal weather
for the noon hour is about 37°F under a partly cloudy sky with a 10
mph wind.
- There is about
a 1 in 6 chance of precipitation during the ceremony.
- There is only
about a 1 in 20 chance of snow during the ceremony.
- If it does
rain or snow, there is a 4 to 1 chance it will only wet the pavement.
- There is about
a 3 out of 10 chance that there will be snow already on the ground
from a previous snowfall.
Climate Data
for January 20
Normal High |
Normal Low |
Record High |
Record Low |
Record Precipitation |
Record Snow |
42°F |
26°F |
70°F in 1951 |
-2°F in 1985 |
1.77 inches in 1937 |
3.8 inches in 1975 |
Extreme
Weather for Past Inaugurations
Most Dramatic and
Tragic - 1841: President William Henry Harrison was sworn into
office on a cloudy, cold and blustery day. His speech lasted one hour
and 40 minutes and he rode a horse to and from the Capitol without
a hat or overcoat. Pneumonia developed from a lingering cold he caught
on that day and he died just one month later.
Almost as bad -
1853: President Franklin Pierce was sworn into office on another
cold and snowy day. He awoke to heavy snow in the morning which
continued until about 11:30 am. Skies looked to be brightening by noon.
Shortly after Pierce took his oath of office, as he began his inaugural
address, snow started again. It came down heavier than ever dispersing
much of the crowd and ruining plans for the parade. Abigail Fillmore,
First Lady to the outgoing President Millard Fillmore, caught a cold as
she sat on the cold, wet, exposed platform during the swearing-in
ceremony. The cold developed into pneumonia and she died at the end of
the month.
Worst Weather
Day - 1909: President William H. Taft's ceremony was forced
indoors due to a storm that dropped 10 inches of snow over the Capital
city. The snow and winds began the day before. Strong winds toppled
trees and telephone poles. Trains were stalled and city streets clogged.
All activity was brought to a standstill. Sanitation workers shoveled
sand and snow through half the night. It took 6,000 men and 500
wagons to clear 58,000 tons of snow and slush from the parade route. See
pictures. Despite the freezing temperatures, howling wind, snow, and
sleet, a large crowd gathered in front of the Capitol to view the
inauguration, but the weather forced the ceremony indoors. Just after
the swearing-in, the snow tapered off.
Photo
taken in front of Presidential Reviewing stand.
President
Taft and wife returning to White House after the ceremony.
Wash Out - 1937: President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's second inauguration. It was the first time
the inauguration was held on January 20th. Two hundred thousand visitors
came to Washington for the inauguration, though several thousand never
got farther than Union Station. It was a cold rainy day. Some sleet and
freezing rain was reported in the morning. Between 11 am and 1 pm, 0.69
inches of rain fell. The ceremony began at 12:23 pm. The noon
temperature was 33°F. At the president's insistence, he rode back to
the White House in an open car with a half an inch of water on the
floor. Later, he stood for an hour and a half in an exposed viewing
stand watching the inaugural parade splash by in the deluge. Total
rainfall for the day was a wet 1.77 inches and this amount remains as
the record rainfall for January 20th.
Worst Traffic
Jam - 1961: On the eve of the inauguration, 8 inches of snow fell
and caused the most crippling traffic jam (for its time).
Hundreds of cars were marooned and thousands of cars were
abandoned. The president-elect had to cancel dinner plans and, in
a struggle to keep other commitments, is reported to have had only 4
hours of sleep. Former President Herbert Hoover was unable to fly into
Washington National Airport due to the weather and he had to miss the
swearing-in ceremony. By sunrise, the snow had ended and the skies were
clearing, but the day remained bitter cold. An army of men worked
all night to clear Pennsylvania Avenue and despite the cold, a large
crowd turned out for the swearing-in ceremony and inaugural parade. At
noon, the temperature was only 22°F and the wind was blowing from the
northwest at 19 mph making it feel like the temperature was 7°F above zero.
Warmest
Inaugurations: (Official weather records began in 1871)
Warmest January
20th Traditional Date: 1981 - Ronald Reagan - 55°F under mostly
cloudy skies.
Warmest March
4th Traditional Date:
Official record: 1913 - Woodrow Wilson - 55°F under overcast skies in
Washington, DC.
Unofficial: 1793 - George Washington - estimated 61°F in
Philadelphia, PA.
Warmest
Non-traditional Dates: August 9, 1974 - Gerald Ford - 89°F with
partly cloudy and hazy skies.
Coldest
Inaugurations:
Coldest January
Date (and overall): 1985 - President Ronald Reagan's second
swearing-in ceremony on January 21 had to be held indoors and the
parade was canceled. The outside temperature at noon was only 7°F.
The morning low was 4° below zero and the daytime high was only 17°.
Wind chill temperatures during the afternoon were in the -10 to -20°F
range.
Coldest March
Date: 1873 - Ulysses S. Grant's second swearing-in ceremony
- The morning low temperature of 4°F was a record for the month of
March. The day remains the coldest March day on record. During the
day, bitterly cold winds gusted up to 40 mph. By noon, the temperature
had risen to 16°F. Wind chill temperatures were -15° to
-30°F. Cadets and midshipmen had been standing on the mall for
more than an hour and a half without overcoats. Several of them
collapsed. When the president delivered his inaugural address, the
wind made his words inaudible to even those on the platform with him.
The inaugural ball was held in a temporary building without heat. It
had to be halted at midnight so people, who had been dancing in their
overcoats and heavy wraps, could go home and get warm.
Inaugural
Weather Fact Sheet
- 1817
= First outdoor inauguration. President James Monroe
was sworn into office.
- 1873
= Coldest March 4th inauguration. Noon temperature
was only 16°F with a record low temperature for March of only 4°F.
Sunshine was no help as the wind made it bitterly cold. President
Ulysses S. Grant was sworn into office for his second term.
- 1909
= Most snow with 9.8 inches. Also very strong winds.
President William H. Taft was sworn into office.
- 1913
= Warmest March 4th inauguration. Noon temperature
was 55°F.
- 1937
= First inauguration held on January 20th.
- 1937
= Record rainfall. It was President Franklin D.
Roosevelt's second inauguration. A total rainfall of 1.77 inches fell
that cold day. Between 11 am and 1 pm, 0.69 inches of rain fell
with a noon temperature of 33°F.
- 1961
= Eight (8) inches of fresh snow laid on the ground
for President John F. Kennedy's inauguration.
- 1981
= Warmest January inauguration. Noon temperature was
55°F. It was Ronald Reagan's first inauguration and would greatly
contrast his second inauguration listed below.
- 1985
= Coldest January inauguration (Jan. 21). Noon
temperature was only 7°F. The morning low temperature was -4°F and
the afternoon high was only 17°F. Wind chill temperatures in the
afternoon were in the -10 to -20°F range. It was Ronald Reagan's
second inauguration ceremony.
Inauguration
Day Weather
Traditional
January Inaugurations -Beginning with Most Recent
Year |
President |
Noon
Temp. |
Remarks |
2005 |
George W. Bush |
35°F |
Mostly cloudy with some sunny breaks. Northwest wind 14 mph.
Around 1" of snow lay on the ground. |
2001 |
George W. Bush |
36°F |
A cool dreary day, with rain and fog - visibility 2 miles. An inch
of rain had fallen the day before, with another third of an inch
falling on Inauguration Day. Rain changed to a little light snow
(0.3")
late in the evening. |
1997
|
William Jefferson Clinton |
34°F |
It was partly sunny with a high overcast. Winds were from the south at 7 mph. |
1993 |
William Jefferson Clinton |
40°F |
It was sunny and pleasant. |
1989 |
George Bush |
51°F |
It was mostly cloudy, mild and breezy. |
1985 |
Ronald Reagan |
7°F |
It was sunny, but bitter cold. Wind chill temperatures fell into
the -10° to -20°F range in the afternoon. |
1981 |
Ronald Reagan |
55°F |
It was mostly cloudy and mild. |
1977 |
Jimmy Carter |
28°F |
It was cold and sunny. The wind chill temperature was in the
teens. |
1973 |
Richard Nixon |
42°F |
It was cloudy and windy. |
1969 |
Richard Nixon |
35°F |
It was cloudy with rain and sleet later in the day. |
1965 |
Lyndon B. Johnson |
38°F |
Skies were cloudy and one inch of snow lay on the ground. |
1961 |
John F. Kennedy |
22°F |
Snow into the early morning left 8 inches on the ground. It was
sunny but cold the rest of the day. |
1957 |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
44°F |
Jan. 21: Light snow in the early morning. Cloudy skies with a few
flurries in the mid afternoon. |
1953 |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
49°F |
Cloudy skies. |
1949 |
Harry S. Truman |
38°F |
Mostly sunny and windy. |
1945 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
35°F |
Light snow ended around 9 a.m. that morning. Cloudy skies. |
1941 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
29°F |
Sunny, but cold with a brisk wind. Wind chill 10°F. |
1937 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
33°F |
Cold with heavy rainy. Between 11 am and 1 pm, 0.69 inches of rain
fell. Some sleet and freezing rain fell in the morning. |
Traditional March
Inaugurations -Beginning with 1933 and going back to 1871 (1871 =
Beginning of official government weather records)
Year |
President |
Noon
Temp. |
Remarks |
1933 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
42°F |
Mostly cloudy with a few peaks of sun. |
1929 |
Herbert C. Hoover |
48°F |
A heavy rain began just before the oath of office was
administered, and the Capitol grounds and parade route were so
crowded that it was impossible for anyone to run for cover. By the
time he completed his inaugural address, President Hoover's face was
beaded with water and his suit was wringing wet. Herbert Hoover's
inaugural parade moved up Pennsylvania Avenue during a lull in the
rain. (See picture below). Intermittent rain continued through the
day. Total rainfall was 0.40 inches. |
1925 |
Calvin Coolidge |
44°F |
Mostly sunny skies. |
1921 |
Warren Harding |
38°F |
Sunny. |
1917 |
Woodrow Wilson |
38°F |
Partly Cloudy and windy. Ceremony on March 5. |
1913 |
Woodrow Wilson |
55°F |
Overcast, but mild. |
1909 |
William H. Taft |
32°F |
Heavy snow, drifting snow, and strong winds. The 10 inch snow fall
ended at 12:20 pm but the afternoon remained cloudy and windy. |
1905 |
Theodore Roosevelt |
45°F |
Sunny with strong northwest winds. Patches of snow remained on the
ground from a light snow fall the day before. |
1901 |
William McKinley |
47°F |
Overcast. It rained overnight and then began again during the
ceremony and ended at 3:45. Total rainfall was 0.32 inches. |
1897 |
William McKinley |
40°F |
Clear. |
1893 |
Grover Cleveland |
25°F |
Snow began during the early morning and ended around 1 pm. One to
two inches fell across the area. A biting wind blew from the
northwest. The crowd was small for the ceremony. Many planned events
were canceled. |
1889 |
Benjamin Harrison |
43°F |
Rained all day. Total rainfall was 0.86 inches. Took oath of
office in a downpour under an umbrella. (See picture below). |
1885 |
Grover Cleveland |
54°F |
Sunny. |
1881 |
James A. Garfield |
33°F |
Snowed all night until about 10 am. The afternoon was sunny and
windy. |
1877 |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
35°F |
Cloudy with brief periods of light snow. Ceremony was on March 5. |
1873 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
16°F |
Clear, windy and bitterly cold. Morning low of 4°F remains the
coldest March day on record. Wind chill temperature of -15°F. |
Benjamin
Harrison's inauguration in 1889.
Herbert Hoover's inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Traditional March
Inaugurations - Beginning with 1869 and going back to 1817 (beginning
of outdoor ceremonies). Note: weather records are unofficial during
this period.
Year |
President |
Noon
Temp. |
Remarks |
1869 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
40°F |
Light rained all morning but stopped just before noon. Afternoon was mostly
sunny. Total rain was 0.11 inches. |
1865 |
Abraham Lincoln |
45°F |
Rain for two days and right up to the ceremony when it ended and the sun broke
through. Total rainfall for the day was 0.30 with the bulk of it
falling near daybreak. Grounds around the Capitol were very soft and
muddy. |
1861 |
Abraham Lincoln |
|
Rain until mid morning and then sunny and mild in the afternoon. |
1857 |
James Buchanan |
49°F |
Sunny. |
1853 |
Franklin Pierce |
35°F |
Light snow and windy...heavier snow during the president's
inaugural address. (Temperature is estimated) |
1849 |
Zachary Taylor |
42°F |
Cloudy with snow flurries. Heavy snow began during the inaugural
ball. Ceremony was on March 5. |
1845 |
James K. Polk |
42°F |
Thunderstorm at dawn with rain during the day. Total rainfall was
0.40 inches. Polk took his oath of office under an umbrella in heavy
rain. The crowd was a sea of umbrellas with people standing ankle
deep in mud. |
1841 |
William H. Harrison |
48°F |
Overcast with a cold wind. (Noon temperature is estimated) |
1837 |
Martin Van Buren |
26°F |
Sunny and brisk. (Noon temperature is estimated) |
1833 |
Andrew Jackson |
29°F |
Uncertain. Probable fair weather based on descriptions of happy
crowds. (Noon temperature is estimated) |
1829 |
Andrew Jackson |
57°F |
Warm and balmy. (Noon temperature is estimated) |
1825 |
John Quincy Adams |
47°F |
Rain. Total rainfall was 0.79 inches. Observations taken by
Adams himself. |
1821 |
James Monroe |
28°F |
Ceremony on March 5. Observation taken by John Quincy Adams. Snow
began on Saturday evening making Washington snowbound by Sunday
afternoon. Snow continued through the inauguration day forcing
Monroe to take his oath of office in the House Chambers. |
1817 |
James Monroe |
50°F |
Warm and sunny. First outdoor inauguration. (Noon temperature is
estimated) |
Traditional
Inaugurations- Indoors - Beginning with 1813 and going back to
1789 (Weather records are unofficial during this period)
Year |
President |
Remarks |
1813 |
James Madison |
March 4 ceremony. Sunny. |
1809 |
James Madison |
March 4 ceremony. Cloudy. Rained the day before leaving the
streets muddy. |
1805 |
Thomas Jefferson |
March 4 ceremony. Fair (meaning good). Observation taken by
Jefferson. Estimated noon temperature of 50°F. |
1801 |
Thomas Jefferson |
March 4 ceremony. Mild and beautiful. Estimated noon temperature
of 55°F. |
1797 |
John Adams |
Ceremony in Philadelphia on March 4. Fair. Estimated noon
temperature 53°F |
1793 |
George Washington |
Ceremony in Philadelphia on March 4. Hazy sunshine and mild.
Estimated noon temperature 61°F. |
1789 |
George Washington |
Ceremony in New York City on April 30. Clear and cool.
Estimated noon temperature of 59°F. |
Inaugural
Weather For Non-Traditional Dates (Inauguration)
was in Washington, DC unless otherwise noted)
Year |
Date |
President |
Temperature |
Weather / Remarks |
1974 |
Aug. 9 |
President Gerald Ford |
89°F |
Partly cloudy skies and hazy. |
1963 |
Nov. 22 |
President Lyndon B. Johnson |
68°F |
Skies were clear. Ceremony was at 2:29 pm in Dallas, Texas. Oath
of office taken inside Air Force One. |
1945 |
April 12 |
President Harry Truman |
64°F |
Fair skies. Ceremony was at 7:09 pm. (Temperature is estimated) |
1923 |
Aug. 3 |
President Calvin Coolidge |
65°F |
Fair skies. Ceremony was at 2:46 am in the Green Mountains of
Vermont. (Temperature is estimated) |
1901 |
Sept. 15 |
President Theodore Roosevelt |
72°F |
Skies were clear. Ceremony was in Buffalo, New York. (Noon
temperature is estimated) |
1881 |
Sept. 19 |
President Chester Arthur |
75°F |
Weather was fair. Ceremony was in New York City. |
1865 |
April 14 |
President Andrew Johnson |
57°F |
Rainy day. (0.35 inches of rain fell.) |
1850 |
July 10 |
President Millard Fillmore |
87°F |
Cloudy skies. Ceremony was indoors. (Noon temperature is
estimated) |
1841 |
April 6 |
President John Tyler |
50°F |
Clear skies. (Noon temperature is estimated) |
References:
- "The Weather of Inauguration Day" by Patrick Hughes, ESSA,
Environmental Data Services, 1968. (ESSA became NOAA in 1970.)
- Data collected by NOAA's National Weather Service Washington
Forecast Office.
- Weather records/data is maintained at the NOAA's National Climatic
Data Center in Ashville, NC.
- All Photos from the collection of the Library of Congress.
Last
Updated January 20, 2005
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