New administration gets warm welcome from crowd despite cold

WASHINGTON (AP) - The mood in Washington, D.C. this inauguration day has been warmly festive, but the chilly weather has been taking its toll.

By: Associated Press | WNCT
Published: January 21, 2009

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The mood in Washington, D.C. this inauguration day has been warmly festive, but the chilly weather has been taking its toll.

Medical stations around the event handled 490 patients with 31 transported to hospitals. The main problems reported were falls, dehydration, hypothermia and chest pains.

Compounding the problem: Warming tents and other facilities on the Mall were late opening because traffic and crowds delayed staffers from reaching them.

Morning temperatures were in the low 20s with a light wind and overcast skies. But readings climbed to 28 by the time of the noon ceremony. Unfortunately, the wind picked up as well.

The cold didn't challenge the record of minus 2 degrees at Ronald Reagan's second inauguration in 1985.

The normal high for Jan. 20 in Washington is 42 degrees with a low of 26.