Reagan holds the record for coldest — and warmest — inauguration

By Rachel Treisman

Published January 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM EST

Ronald Reagan (C) is sworn in as 40th President of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger (R) beside his wife Nancy Reagan (C) during inaugural ceremony, on January 21, 1985 in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC.

Today is the first time temperatures have forced a presidential inauguration indoors since 1985.

That year, President Ronald Reagan's second swearing-in ceremony was moved into the Capitol and the traditional parade was canceled due to the coldest inauguration temperatures on record.

The outside temperature at noon was only 7 degrees Fahrenheit, the morning low was 4 degrees below zero and the daytime high was only 17 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Wind chill temperatures during the afternoon were in the -10 to -20°F range.

On the other end of the spectrum, Reagan also holds the record for the warmest Jan. 20 inauguration weather. During his first inauguration in 1981, it was 55 degrees at noon.

The typical weather in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20 is somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees, the NWS says, usually around 37 degrees at noon.

Monday got off to a chilly start, with a temperature of 25 degrees and wind chill of 12 degrees Fahrenheit just before 7 a.m.