Mon Jan 20 06:30:00 UTC 2025: **Arctic Blast to Plunge Temperatures Across US, Forcing Indoor Presidential Inauguration**
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A major arctic blast, fueled by a southward-dipping polar vortex, is set to bring dangerously cold temperatures to nearly 300 million Americans this weekend, impacting even the upcoming presidential inauguration. The frigid air mass, originating from Siberia, will cause temperatures to plummet well below average across the country.
The deep freeze began Saturday in the northern U.S., with temperatures dropping into the single digits and wind chills reaching negative teens. Sunday brought even more significant drops, with wind chills in the negative twenties across the Northern Plains and single digits in the Central Plains, creating hazardous conditions. These temperatures are forecast to be 25-30 degrees below average.
On Monday, the cold front will impact the Deep South, with Atlanta expected to see temperatures near freezing. Record-low high temperatures are predicted in many areas from the Plains to the East Coast. In Washington D.C., where President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration will take place, temperatures are expected to be in the low twenties with wind chills in the single digits.
Due to the extreme cold, President-elect Trump announced the inauguration ceremony will be moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda, citing concerns for public safety. This will mark the coldest Inauguration Day in four decades, surpassing the 7-degree temperature recorded during President Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985.
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