The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a warning that New York City will experience strong winds and cold weather during this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, potentially affecting the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is forecasted that on Thanksgiving Day, November 27 (Thursday), the wind speed in the city will reach 15 to 20 miles per hour during the day, with gusts as high as 35 miles per hour, approaching the safety limits for the giant balloons to float up into the sky.
Meteorologist Bryan Ramsey pointed out that although the temperature on Thanksgiving Day will be slightly above freezing, the strong wind chill effect will make the perceived temperature drop to the low 30s Fahrenheit (around 1 to 3 degrees Celsius).
Macy’s and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) are closely monitoring the wind changes and will decide before the start of the parade whether the giant balloons can float up and at what altitude they can fly. In 1997, strong winds caused the “Cat in the Hat” giant balloon to veer out of control and crash into a lamppost, resulting in serious injuries to spectators, leading wind conditions to become a crucial reference for the official annual safety strategy.
The weather bureau estimates that the strong winds will continue into Friday, with gusts possibly increasing to 40 to 45 miles per hour. The temperature will remain in the low 40s Fahrenheit (4 to 7 degrees Celsius), and the wind chill could drop to the low 20s Fahrenheit (around minus 4 degrees Celsius). Saturday is expected to see a significant decrease in wind strength, with temperatures slightly rising; while Sunday may see a return to the low 50s Fahrenheit (around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius).