The Washington, D.C., region is on track to get some snow and a frigid blast of air in a few days — just in time for the presidential inauguration.
A piece of the polar vortex, an area of cold air that swirls around the Earth’s poles, will brush by the D.C. area next week. This frigid air will move in Sunday night into Monday morning following some fresh snow during the day on Sunday.
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Here’s what to know about the weather for Inauguration Day, as well as the days before and after. Continue to check here for updates to the forecast.
A storm system will bring about 1 to 3 inches of snow to the D.C. area on Sunday, Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper said.
Snowfall will start during the morning and come to an end in the evening.
Draper said the snow will likely affect roads Sunday into Monday.
Snow might be on the ground for the inauguration, but no additional snow will fall on Monday, Draper said. In addition to the snow, it will be cold and blustery.
Temperatures will likely warm to a high of about 25 degrees during the midday hours, when the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.C. Vance takes place outside the U.S. Capitol. But wind chills will make it feel much colder, possibly as low as the 10s, Draper said.
Heading into Monday afternoon, temperatures are expected to fall to about 20 degrees during the presidential parade.
Storm Team4 anticipates the inauguration ceremony for Trump will be one of the coldest in the country’s history.
President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985 was the coldest with a high of only 7 degrees and a wind chill of -20.
There are some records of President Ulysses S. Grant’s second inauguration having a numbing high of only 16 degrees in March of 1873.
Inaugurations have been held on January 20 since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second inauguration in 1937.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy’s inauguration was 22 degrees with windy conditions and snow on the ground.
In more recent times, former President Barack Obama’s first inauguration was similarly brutal to Monday’s forecast, with highs in the upper 20s and wind chills in the teens.
Anyone who’s planning to be outside in D.C. on Inauguration Day should make sure to wear multiple layers, a hat and gloves, Draper said.
Draper recommends getting rechargeable electronic hand warmers, which are effective and easy to use.
“If you plan on standing along the parade route, bring a thick piece of cardboard, or something similar, to put a layer between your feet and the cold, snowy ground,” Draper said.
Highs will again be in the 20s on Tuesday and Wednesday — not factoring in the wind chill. The coldest day will be Tuesday and the Arctic air will start to retreat on Wednesday.
Average highs for this time of year are in the mid-40s and average lows are around 30 degrees, Draper said.