Dave Dildine, wtop.com WASHINGTON - The weather during past
presidential inaugural ceremonies has run the gamut from fierce
snowstorms to blinding rain to mild temperatures and sunny
skies. Winter has not been kind to many presidents and the
inaugural committees in charge of coordinating the day's events.
Since President Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term, the
inaugural ceremonies have been held outdoors during the heart of
the winter season, normally on Jan. 20. The average high
temperature on Jan. 20 in Washington is 43 degrees. Typically
the coldest time of the year, late January can also be the most
tempestuous period for Washington weather. A few inaugurations
have been marred by strong storms and fierce winds. Franklin
Roosevelt's second inauguration took place on a raw, soggy day
with heavy rain and temperatures hovering just above freezing. A
record 1.77 inches of precipitation fell, much of it recorded
around mid-day and during the swearing-in. A major January
blizzard the day before President John