Rainy and windy weather is expected to arrive in New York City later this week, leading to a wet and blustery Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The rain is forecast to begin in the morning before picking up throughout the day. It’s possible that steady rain could fall into the early morning hours of Black Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The city should get about an inch of rain in that 24-hour period, offering some more relief from the ongoing drought conditions.
On top of the rain, the temperature will decline from low 50s earlier in the week to low-to-mid-40s by parade time. Attendees along the parade route will want to bundle up and have an umbrella handy. The temperature will not go down enough to turn that chilly rain into snow in the city, but flurries could occur further north.
The wind should not ground the parade’s famous, massive balloons, though, as speeds are expected stay well under their threshold. The balloons can’t fly if winds go above 23 mph or if gusts reach 34 mph.
The 1997 iteration of the parade was marred by balloons being whipped around by wind gusts and impaled by light posts. One bystander’s injury led to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit. That led to new rules requiring smaller balloons and wind speed restrictions.
A bit of rain is expected early Tuesday but should clear by the afternoon. Wednesday should be clear again, allowing for the busiest travel day of the year to proceed with one fewer obstacle, at least in the Northeast and until Thursday’s downpour begins. However, colder weather in the 30s is on the horizon for the weekend and the early days of December.
This year’s is the 98th Macy’s parade. Viewers and spectators can expect to see performances by the Rockettes, “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo and others along with balloons and floats featuring memorable characters like Snoopy, Minnie Mouse and Spider-Man.
The parade will air on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock from 8:30 a.m. until noon.
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