For millions of Americans, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual tradition to kick off the holiday, but one of its biggest attractions may be missing Thursday morning: the iconic giant balloons.
When sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts top 34 mph, New York City regulations require the balloons to be grounded, Macy’s spokesman Orlando Veras told weather.com in an email.
Our latest forecast for Thanksgiving Day predicts northwesterly winds at 15 to 25 mph, with higher gusts possible. If winds are in the higher end of that range, they would be strong enough to keep the balloons on the ground.
A strong low-pressure system exiting northern New England and Atlantic Canada into the North Atlantic Ocean will be the culprit for the gusty winds on Thursday.
The giant balloons can easily be overtaken by strong winds, posing a danger to those attending the parade in person.
In 1997, a six-story-high Cat in the Hat balloon injured four people after being blown out of control by the wind, according to the New York Times. One year after that incident, New York City officials established new regulations prohibiting the balloons from flying when winds meet the threshold described above.
"We monitor the weather on a daily basis, but at this time, it is too early to make any determinations regarding the flight of the parade’s giant balloons, as we use on-the-scene data versus forecasts," Veras said.
He explained that they have a number of weather operations in place, including continuous monitoring of conditions on site by a licensed meteorologist, who is in direct communication with the National Weather Service. Along the parade route, there are several wind-monitoring stations, and the assistant pilot on each balloon carries a wind meter, which is monitored by an NYPD representative.
"On parade morning, Macy’s works closely with the NYPD, who, based on the current weather data and the official regulations, determine if the balloons will fly and at what heights," Veras said. "Each is designed to fly at different heights and angles based on their shape and scale and the exact wind conditions along the route."
The decision to add or exclude the giant balloons is made just before the start of the parade and takes into account the weather data along the entire route and information from nearby weather stations.
"If the giant balloons are not able to fly, which has only happened due to extreme wind in 1971, we still have an amazing parade filled with entertainment for New York and the nation," Veras said.
Weather permitting, 16 giant character balloons are in this year's parade lineup. They will be accompanied by 26 animated floats; dozens of celebrity performances; 40 smaller balloon inflatables; 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers; 9 performance groups; 11 marching bands; 1,000 spirited clowns; Broadway shows; and, of course, Santa Claus.
Despite the gusty winds in the forecast, the 2019 parade is guaranteed to be warmer than last year's. The low temperature at Central Park last Thanksgiving was 17 degrees, making it the second-coldest Thanksgiving low at that site and the coldest Turkey Day temperature since 1901. Morning wind chills in the city were in the upper single-digits.
This year, morning lows are forecast to be in the mid-40s Thursday morning, with afternoon temperatures reaching the upper 40s to near 50 degrees. However, it will feel at least 5 to 10 degrees colder in the wind.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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