WASHINGTON — One third of the group of Le Jardin students and chaperones gave up on watching Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony today because of the cold, and instead, will see it on television at the Natural History Museum.

Temperatures were in teens early this morning and were expected to reach 30 degrees by around noon D.C. time when Obama takes the oath of office.

"Eleven of our 34 people fled inside," said teacher Julia Fahey, who was leading the group.

Fahey called the 23 students and parents who will brave the cold "big troupers."

They include Casey Doyle, a 12-year-old Le Jardin seventh-grader.

"I am freezing and my toes are like ice cubes," Casey said. "I want to stay here because the reason we came was for the inauguration. It's pretty amazing."