Strong Winds May Ground Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Balloons
Snoopy, Spongebob and their other helium-filled friends may be set to see the skies on Thursday — but blustery winds may keep them on the ground this year, according to Storm Team 4.
Rain moved out of the area by nightfall on Wednesday, but a cold front has brought strong winds from the northwest into the tri-state that are expected to last for a good part of Thanksgiving, Storm Team 4 says.
Some parts north and west of the city may see a few snowflakes during the overnight hours, but once the sun comes up any precipitation is expected to move along.
That's about when the officicals with the NYPD and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be faced with a decision: Do they fly the balloons at a lower height, or not at all?
It all comes down to wind speed. The balloons cannot be flown if sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts exceed 34 mph, according to officials.
On Thursday morning, Storm Team 4 says that gusts are expected to hit around 40 mph, and sustained winds to sit between 20 and 25 mph — not exactly giving an optimistic forecast for the balloons.
Officials will hold off on making a decision regarding the balloons until near the start of the parade.
The city regulations were put into place in 1998 after a giant Cat in the Hat balloon injured four people when high winds caused it to knock over part of a streetlight, according to "Today."
If the balloons are grounded, spectators will miss out on beloved characters like Pikachu, Elf on the Shelf, Pillsbury Doughboy, Olaf, Trolls, as wells as new balloons which include Astronaut Snoopy, SpongeBob SquarePants and Smokey Bear.
But not to worry, the rest of the show will go on.
Special musical guests like Celine Dion, Idina Menzel and Lea Michele will entertain during the three-hour event airing at 9 a.m. Thursday on NBC.
Thanksgiving will see temperatures in the upper 40s with the cold weather coming back Black Friday, according to Storm Team 4. Wind chills overnight could dip into the 20s, so anyone thinking of lining up outside stores for deals should definitely bundle up.
Despite a short break in weather, the tri-state won't be in the clear for too long as Sunday could be the worst travel day of the holiday weekend. An intensifying storm out west will likely bring a combination of rain, ice and snow, according to Storm Team 4.
Worried about your possible weekend trips? Get real-time transit updates from all your key commute sources below.
Photo Credit: NBC New York
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