NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — All clear for the balloons at the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Strong winds threatened to ground the giant character balloons, which have caused mishaps and injuries in the past when gusts have blown them off course.
The New York City Police Department monitored wind gauges along the parade route and would have ordered to have them removed entirely if wind speeds reach dangerous levels.
As for now, the NYPD says the balloons will be able to fly.
The beloved balloons were flying, if lower than usual, as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began after an anxious weather watch Thursday morning.
Astronaut Snoopy, a new version of a longtime parade favorite, was among the giant inflated characters leading the lineup.
Macy’s Vice President Susan Tercero made an announcement a half-hour before the parade started that the balloons would fly, albeit at a lower level.
The balloons have only been grounded once for weather-related reasons, in 1971.
The National Weather Service is projecting sustained winds of up to 24 mph (39 kph) with gusts to 40 mph (64 kph) during the parade.
City rules require balloons to be grounded if sustained winds exceed 23 mph (37 kph) and gusts exceed 34 mph (55 kph).
The parade, one of the city’s most popular events, features about 8,000 marchers, two dozen floats, and marching bands, ending with an appearance from Santa Claus.
Among the performers scheduled for this year are actor Billy Porter of “Pose,” and singers Celine Dion, Ozuna, Ciara, Kelly Rowland and Idina Menzel.
The character balloons can go as high as 55 feet off the ground and as low as 10 feet. This year, the balloons were forced to be paraded lower than usual.
The rules requiring them to be grounded in high-wind conditions came after wind blew a “Cat in the Hat” balloon into a lamppost near Central Park in 1997, critically injuring a woman.
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