The 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is getting mixed news when it comes to the weather as spectators face a rainy holiday, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines.
The National Weather Service (NWS) initially predicted on Monday a 70 percent probability of rain showers in New York City on Thanksgiving, beginning in the early morning and continuing into the evening. Meanwhile, temperatures will be in the low to mid-40s, so marchers and spectators will face a chilly rain as the midday high on Thanksgiving Day will be around 50 degrees.
According to Kines, while the parade is looking at heavy rain in the morning hours as parade goers will "have to be prepared for that," the winds should not be a problem as they are expected to stay mild throughout the parade.
Despite the rain, the parade continues on as winds will not top 23 miles per hour and gusts will not reach 35 mph, which is the cutoff of when New York City regulations require the balloons to be grounded.
"As far as the parade is concerned, the wind should not be a problem. It is going to rain. The rain will be heavy during the morning hours. So those who are lining the streets...will have to be prepared for that. It certainly won't be the best of mornings to be watching the parade from the sidelines," Kines told Newsweek on Wednesday. "Obviously for this year, at least in the New York City area, it looks like they drew the short straw."
However, according to William Churchill, a forecaster at the NWS, while rain began before dawn, accompanied by light winds, it is expected to end around noon, the same time the parade will come to a close.
"We can say confidently it will be more than the average amount for Thanksgiving," Churchill said, per The New York Times.
The greater New York area continues to face winter advisories as a winter storm will be moving into the Northeast since "moderate to heavy snowfall is likely to develop across portions of the interior Northeast," according to the NWS.
Reiterating the NWS' forecast, Kines pointed towards the winter warnings, specifically the Great Lakes where significant lake-effect snow is expected.
"The trouble spots [for bad weather] are probably going to be further north than New York. Up to New England and Central North where there will probably be some snow, especially in higher terrain where there will be several inches," Kines told Newsweek, adding that there is concern "around the Great Lakes, where there will be some lake effect snow going on."
Lake effect snow can produce 3 inches or more of snow per hour, the NWS said.
"There is definitely a signal for a decent lake effect snow event, but it likely won't start until Wednesday into Thursday and into next weekend," Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist at the NWS Weather Prediction Center, previously told Newsweek.
A winter storm system will impact eastern NY & western New England on Thanksgiving. Winter Storm Warning and Winter Wx Advisories are in effect. The heaviest snow totals are forecasted west of the Hudson River Valley & over southern VT. Stay tuned for further updates tonight. pic.twitter.com/LaloI5UsqY
— NWS Albany (@NWSAlbany) November 28, 2024Meanwhile, across the United States, most of the country "should have relatively quiet weather" over the weekend, except the Florida panhandle as it will see other storms, according to Kines.
"In the southeast and Florida panhandle, there will be strong storms down there. But for the rest of the country, at least for traveling purposes, it's looking ok. Over the weekend, in general, most of the country should have relatively quiet weather during the Friday, Saturday and Sunday," he told Newsweek.
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