The elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that due to severe cold, his inauguration on Monday will take place inside the U.S. Capitol rather than outdoors as previously planned, according to Tengrinews.kz referencing "Voice of America."
"An Arctic chill is approaching the country. I do not want people to suffer or get injured. Therefore, I have ordered that the inaugural speech, in addition to prayers and other addresses, be delivered in the rotunda of the United States Capitol," Trump wrote on Friday on the social network Truth Social.
The last time an inauguration was moved indoors due to extreme cold was 40 years ago in 1985 during President Ronald Reagan's second oath of office, when the temperature dropped to minus 29 degrees Celsius after noon.
According to the weather forecast for Washington on Monday, the temperature during Trump's swearing-in will be around minus 7 degrees Celsius, but the chill will feel much harsher due to the anticipated wind.
Trump stated that supporters can watch the ceremony on screens at Capital One Arena, a sports complex in downtown Washington that accommodates 20,000 people.
Trump also mentioned that the presidential parade, which was supposed to feature marching bands and other performers along Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House, will be moved to Capital One Arena. It is still unclear how this will be organized inside the sports complex.
Trump indicated that he will join the crowd at the arena after he is sworn in. On Sunday, the day before the inauguration, Trump is scheduled to hold a rally with his supporters at the same arena.
The ninth President of the United States, William Henry Harrison, delivered the longest inaugural address on March 4, 1841, in wet and cold weather, without a hat or coat.
This is believed to have contributed to his developing pneumonia. He died a month after taking office, making his presidency the shortest in U.S. history.
During the second inauguration ceremony of President Ulysses Grant on March 4, 1873, several cadets and midshipmen standing outside without overcoats collapsed, and gusty winds rendered Grant's speech inaudible even to those right next to him on the platform. With a morning temperature of -15 degrees Celsius, that day became the coldest March day in Washington.