Four years later it was a markedly different affair. On Jan. 21, 1985, a blast of Arctic cold forced Reagan to take the oath of office indoors, and the inaugural parade was canceled.

This year's chilly weather is nothing, however, compared to a brutal Inauguration Day in 1985, which was the coldest January Inauguration Day on record, according to the National Weather Service.

The last time the inauguration was held inside was in 1985 when Ronald Reagan started his second term when temperatures in Washington DC plunged to -14°C. Taxpayers forking out almost 5 percent ...