The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may ground its famous balloons for the first time in 50 years due dangerous wind gusts as the East and Midwest braces for winter storms over the holiday
- The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City may not fly balloons this year due to strong winds
- The balloons are not allowed to be blown if sustained winds exceed 23mph and gusts exceed 34mph, as per city regulations
- This year sustained winds of 22mph and gusts of 39mph are forecast
- Parade officials won’t make the final call until the morning of the parade
- The regulations were put in place after parade officials lost control of a Cat in the Hat balloon due to strong winds in 1997 that injured four people
- The last time the parade’s balloons were grounded due to weather was in 1971
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may not fly its famous balloons this year due to dangerously windy conditions.
Every year thousands gather in New York to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade and see its 16 giant character balloons.
However, this year weather experts forecast icy sustained winds of 22mph and perilous wind gusts of 39mph during the parade.
The balloons are not allowed to be flown if sustained winds exceed 23mph and gusts exceed 34mph, as per city regulations.
The regulations were put in place after parade officials lost control of the iconic Cat in the Hat balloon due to strong winds in 1997 and it injured four people. The balloon’s hat crashed into a lamp post in the powerful winds and falling debris from the collision injured spectators below.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may not fly its famous balloons this year due to dangerously windy conditions with forecast wind gusts of 39mph
The balloons are not allowed to be blown if sustained winds exceed 23mph and gusts exceed 34mph, as per city regulations. On Thursday in NYC, wind gusts are forecast to whip at 39mph while sustained winds will blow at 22mph
This weather map shows the forecast for the U.S. this Thanksgiving week, with rain and showers hitting the East Coast
City officials won’t make the call on whether to fly the balloons or not until Thursday morning as wind conditions can quickly change.
The balloons are scheduled to be inflated the afternoon and evening before the parade near the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.
The last time the parade’s balloons were grounded due to weather concerns was in 1971, according to the New York Times.
This year’s forecast for the parade predicts it will be 44 to 47F.
The regulations were put in place after parade officials lost control of the iconic Cat in the Hat balloon due to strong winds in 1997 and it injured four people. That Cat in the Hat balloon pictured above with its hat deflated after crashing into a lamp post.
Workers try to control the Pink Pather balloon after high winds ripped a hole in the balloon during the 71st Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 1997
This year’s Thanksgiving holiday will see rain and snow hit the Midwest and Northeast from Tuesday and Wednesday and strong winds into Thursday on the East Coast.
‘Gusts are forecast to frequent 30 to 50 mph from the north and northwest on Thanksgiving day in the New York metro area,’ according to AccuWeather Meterologist Courtney Travis.
However, higher gusts could be possible between high rise buildings where wind is funneled and over bridges.
‘Winds this strong will be a safety concern for balloon handlers and spectators along the parade route,’ Travis said.