Weather forecast for the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

NEW YORK CITY – Macy’s is preparing for millions of in-person spectators at its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City – despite the threat of storms, bitter cold and whipping winds.

Wind also poses a threat to the dozens of building-sized balloons paraded along the Manhattan route.

Here’s what you can expect from the weather forecast if you plan to attend the parade in person:

Weather forecast for Thanksgiving Day in NYC

The FOX Forecast Center said a Thanksgiving storm will rage on the Big Apple’s doorstep as officials coordinate Thursday morning’s parade and the final festive and fun balloons are inflated before the parade begins.

Rain is expected across the region on Thursday as the winter storm intensifies and winds will not increase until later Thursday afternoon.

The FOX Forecast Center Rainfall totals on Thursday are expected to be between half an inch and an inch, but are expected to fall over the course of 6 to 12 hours.

Wind threats

However, problems could arise if the storm hits New York City earlier than expected. The FOX Forecast Center said winds are not expected to increase until the system moves away from the coast, bringing colder temperatures and stronger winds.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are huge, and wind plays a critical role in the parade’s logistics and safety measures.

The FOX Forecast Center expect light winds around 5-10 mph with some stronger gusts.

And that’s good news for those who want to catch a glimpse of the balloons floating over the streets of New York.

Winds of this strength may not seem like much, but controlling the balloons can become much more difficult as the wind increases.

The iconic balloons cannot fly when sustained winds reach 23 mph and/or gusts reach 34 mph.

So far it looks like winds will remain below these thresholds.

Forecast for Thanksgiving week

Tuesday

Expect some rain before the sun comes out. High 60, low 48.

Wednesday

Temperatures will drop with mostly clear skies. High 50, low 40.

Thursday

Expect rain and possibly snow north of the city. High 49, low 41.

Friday

A windy but clear day with temperatures near freezing. High 46, low 38.