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Rain or shine, the show must go on! For nearly 100 years, the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has dazzled Americans with its high-flying, larger-than-life balloons.
Lucky for balloon handlers, entertainers and attendees, they will be able to enjoy the parade amid a background of pleasant, albeit chilly weather.
Hourly forecast for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23, 2023.
(FOX Forecast Center / FOX Weather)
Abundant sunshine is in store, with highs in the high 40s that morning and then rising to the mid-50s later in the day, according to the FOX Forecast Center. With humidity expected to be at about 60%, the feels-like temperature will be around 43 degrees.
And while temperatures look great, windy conditions could create problems for some balloons.
How the wind has affected parade balloons
Wind gust forecast for the morning of Nov. 23, 2023.
(FOX Forecast Center / FOX Weather)
Because of the immense size of the balloons, wind plays a critical role in parade logistics and safety measures.
The wind is expected to blow in from the northwest between 5 and 10 mph with gusts from 15-20 mph. And while that may not seem like a lot, holding down the massive balloons can become trickier when winds pick up.
A Macy’s spokesperson says they are only concerned for the parade when the wind threshold of 23 mph sustained winds and 34 mph gusts is exceeded. Should winds blow stronger than these criteria, the parade’s largest balloons could be altered.
Balloon handlers fight the strong wind gusts and struggle to keep Universal Orlando Resort The Nutcracker Balloon stable after it hit into some of the handlers as he makes his way down Central Park West during the 93rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
(Ira L. Black / Corbis / Getty Images)
In 2019, strong winds threatened to ground the balloons. While officials ended up allowing the balloons to fly, handlers struggled to control the Nutcracker balloon, which ran a woman down onto the ground.
The 1997 parade saw winds powerful enough to have the Cat in the Hat balloon strike a lamppost. Part of the lamppost fell onto and injured a bystander, who went into a coma.
On another occasion, balloons had to be tied down due to powerful winds.
Balloons, sights to see at the parade
Tom Turkey Float during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2021.
(Peter Kramer / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank / Getty Images)
On Thanksgiving morning, those balloons and a litany of floats and performers will make their way through the New York City streets from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m.
Parade attendees and viewers at home can look forward to seeing 25 balloons in this year’s parade, along with 31 floats and a number of musical acts.
THE ONLY TIME THE MACYS THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE WAS CANCELED
While the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was hosted in 1924, balloons only became a part of the parade a few years later in 1927, according to the Library of Congress. The first parade balloon was Felix the Cat.
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