Evening star., 1936-12-20
INAUGURAL GROUP
STUDIES WEATHER
January 20 More Likely to
Be Fair Than March a,
Records Reveal.

welt ceremonies January 20, yester-
day took look at prospects Of favor
able weather as indicated by Weather
Bureau statistics, and thereafter
sighed expectantly, but still kept their
fingers carefully crossed.
They found the record all in their
favor at least as compared with the
experiences on March 4, according to
a digest of the history Of the two
days during the last 2l years. re-
leased by Norman W. Baxter, assistant
chairman of the committee.
Therefore, unless J. Pluvius or j.
Frost break with tradition, the Nor
ris amendment to the Constitution,
under which the Inauguration date
was changed from March to jan
uary 20, may have the effect Of saw
ing the President from getting all wet
or from shivering in blizzard.
Thev Look to the Record.
Let it be said, however, that tne
Inaugural Committee officials old not
60 so far as to give unqualified assur-
ance. They limited themselves to ref
erences to the record, except to re-
port:
1T is, moreover, the opinion OF
weather experts that, although the
temperature may not be ideal on Janu-
arv 20. the weather is more likely to be
crisp and clear on that day, while on
March there is always the prooa-
bilitv of raw winds and damp skies.
If the inaugural ceremonies OF the
last 81 years had been held on Janu-
ary 20 instead Of March 4, the ele-
nents would have been more pro-
pitious on all but one occasion, the
committee asserted after studying
Weather Bureau statistics. It added:
mo January 20 in the last 20 years
has given the District weather conol-
tions as wild as those which obtained
on March 4. 1917, when there was
rainfall of almost an inch and quar-
ter. and on nearly every other inaugu-
raj March 4 conditions have been no
better, if as good, than they were on
January 20 of those years"
The statistic record publicized by
the committee supported the belief
that January 20 has been generally
drier, albeit bit colder on the average
than has the old Inauguration day.
Lowest Mark 8 Degrees.
In "A of the last 81 years the lowest
temperature on January 20 has been
lower than on March and in II years
of the period the highest temperatures
on January 20 have been lower than
on March T. The lowest temperature
on January 20 in the period was 9
degrees, in 1880, but that could be
said not to count since that was not
an Inauguration year. The lowest tenn
perature registered on March 4 dur
ing the 81 years was 19 degrees, and
that was in 1916, also not an inaugu-
ration year.
AS to rainfall, the record shows that
during the 21-year period there were
IL times when January 20 showed no
precipitation, as against 13 for the
March 4 records. But the committee
noted that there were three instances
in which there was but trace" Of
rainfall on January 20. A bit of addi-
ton, also. lends hope for January 90,
for the rain that fell on March 4 in
auguration days was measured to total
$50 inches, whereas the total meas
ured rainfall on January 20 in the
last 81 years (not counting the traces"
of precipitation), counted up to but
lbs inches,
The following specific instances
were reported by the committee:
In 1917, when Woodrow Wilson
was inaugurated for his second term,
the March 4 temperature ranged from
36 to 33, with rainfall measuring
l.24 inches, while on January 20 of
that year the temperature ranged
from a. to % and there was no pre-
cipitation.
Trace of Rain for Harding.
In 1921, when President Harding
took Office, the March 4 range was
a to 81 with no precipitation, while
on January 20 of that year the range
was AZ to 81 and there was trace
In 1925, when Calvin Coolidge was
inaugurated, the March tempera-
ture range was So to %. with no rain,
whereas the January 20 range was
from Al to 80, with rainfall Of
o46 inches.
When Herbert Hoover was inaugu-
rated, on March 4, 1929, the tenn
perature ranged from SO to 38 and the
rainfall measured 040 inches. On
January 20 of that year the range
was so to 35 degrees and there was no
rainfall.
At the inaugural Of President Roose-
welt four years ago, the temperature
ranged from 43 to So. January 20
Of that year gave Washington a