Frigid temperatures in Washington could pose a danger to more than 1 million people expected to walk and stand outside for hours during the presidential inauguration and parade Tuesday, and officials are scrambling to provide relief.
The arctic conditions gripping much of the East Coast will ease by the end of the weekend, but temperatures will still be around 20 degrees Monday night and won't rise above the mid-30s Tuesday for the inauguration, according to Brian Korty, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Camp Springs, Md.
"While some may think that temperatures in the 20s or 30s are fairly mild compared with the recent deep freeze in many states, standing for hours in the cold can take its toll," acting Surgeon General Steven Galson said.
Jim Augustine, an emergency physician and medical director for the District of Columbia Fire and EMS, said people need to plan their day ahead of time, especially since "it gets very dangerous before dawn and after dusk in the evening."
Augustine said hundreds of emergency crews will be arranged around the National Mall, along the parade route and near the Capitol, prepared to treat people for cold-related injuries. They and thousands of park rangers and law enforcement officers have been told to be on the lookout for members of the public showing signs of hypothermia.
"The most important change is people get confused and disoriented and begin to take their clothes off because they feel warm," he said. "They are typically beyond the point of shivering."
Dan Tangherlini, city administrator for the District of Columbia, said officials are taking the situation seriously. Fifty-eight heated medical tents will be available to treat people for medical emergencies, including hypothermia, but they will not be open to people who simply want to warm up.
Tangherlini said visitors should plan to duck into a museum or Metro station or return to their tour bus to warm up.
"One of the things we're trying to do is having as many tour buses as possible come as close to the Mall as possible," he said.
The farthest tour bus parking will be at RFK Stadium, and free shuttles will be provided to and from the Mall, Tangherlini said.
Smithsonian Institution museums will open at 10 a.m. to accommodate crowds looking to warm up. The National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Information Center, known as the Castle, will be open at 8 a.m., Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said.
The swearing-in ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m.
All the museum buildings have restaurants "where you can get hot chocolate or coffee," St. Thomas said.
Although the Secret Service prohibits backpacks, coolers and thermal containers, it will allow blankets, sleeping bags and small pads to sit on, spokesman Malcolm Wiley said.
Augustine urged people to prepare for their inaugural experience a day or two in advance by eating well, drinking lots of fluids and staying away from alcohol.
On Inauguration Day, he said, they should dress in loose-fitting layers of polypropylene, silk or wool, with a wind- and rain-resistant outer layer and slip-resistant shoes.
"It is not a high-fashion weekend," he said. "It is important that people dress for utility."
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