Weather has not always been calm during our peaceful transition of power in American History. It has played an integral role, sometimes with heavy rain, snow, or intense cold. January 20th is not the set date for every presidential inauguration, but it will be this 2017 for Donald Trump. The forecast continues to show a chilly rain, but it far from extreme for what can happen in Washington DC for this event. Here is an extensive account of the weather for each inauguration. Thanks to research from the National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia that governs over our area. Note that January was not always the month when a new president was sworn in. In 1933 and prior, it was traditionally on March 4.
Interesting notes:
Ronald Regan had both the warmest AND coldest January inaugurations.
Taft had Faith in the Flakes. His inauguration had 9.8 inches of snow! FITF
The image above was in a downpour for President Benjamin Harrison under an umbrella in 1889. It was 48 years early when his grandfather, William Harrison, caught pneumonia on a cold and blustery inauguration day and died one month into taking office.
Let’s start with this year’s January 20th date itself:
Climate Data For January 20th in Washington DC
43°F – Normal High Temperature
70°F – 1951 Record High
28°F – Normal Low Temperature
-2°F – 1985 Record Low
1.77″ – Record Rain in 1937
3.8 inches – Most snow set in 1985
What is Normal Weather for a ‘January’ Inauguration?
Normal high temperature for the day is 43°F.
Normal low temperature for the day is in the upper 28°F.
Normal weather for 12 pm EST is a temperature of 37°F, partly cloudy skies, 10 mph wind and a wind chill of 31°F.
There is about a 1 in 3 chance of measurable precipitation (i.e., at least 0.01″) on that day and a 1 in 6 chance of precipitation during the ceremony.
There is only about a 1 in 10 chance of measurable snow (i.e., at least 0.1″) on that day and a 1 in 20 chance of snow during the ceremony.
There is about a 1 in 6 chance that there will be at least 1″ of snow already on the ground from a previous snowfall.
Most Extreme Weather For A January Inauguration
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.
Images: Photo taken in front of Presidential Reviewing stand.
Below:
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.
Inauguration Weather Highlights
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.
Traditional January Inaugurations -Beginning with Most Recent
Year
President
Noon
Temp.
Remarks
2013
Barack Obama
45°F
Cloudy. South wind 7 mph.
2009
Barack Obama
28°F
Filtered sun through the thin cirrus clouds. Breezy with northwest winds around 15 mph, gusting 20-25 mph. Wind chill values in the mid teens.
2005
George W. Bush
35°F
Mostly cloudy with some sunny breaks. Northwest wind 14 mph. Around 1″ of snow already 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
Partly sunny with a high overcast. Winds were from the south at 7 mph.
1993
William Jefferson Clinton
40°F
Sunny and pleasant.
1989
George Bush
51°F
Mostly cloudy, mild and breezy.
1985
Ronald Reagan
7°F
Sunny, but bitter cold. Wind chill temperatures fell into the -10° to -20°F range in the afternoon.
1981
Ronald Reagan
55°F
Mostly cloudy and mild.
1977
Jimmy Carter
28°F
Cold and sunny. The wind chill temperature was in the teens.
1973
Richard Nixon
42°F
Cloudy and windy.
1969
Richard Nixon
35°F
Cloudy with rain and sleet later in the day.
1965
Lyndon B. Johnson
38°F
Skies were cloudy and one inch of snow 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.
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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.
Inauguration Weather For Non-Traditional Dates
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 15
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)
“American Weather Stories”, Published: DOC/NOAA/Environmental Data Service, Washington, DC, 1976.
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.
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