With high winds in the forecast on Fat Tuesday, the city of New Orleans is reportedly modifying its Mardi Gras parade schedule.
Start times for the parades of Zulu and Rex are being moved up to beat the arrival of the windy weather, New Orleans Police announced Monday.
Zulu will begin 90 minutes earlier, at 6:30 a.m.
Rex will also begin early, and both parades will disband earlier than usual, with the goal of parades being done by 11:30 a.m.
There is also a chance the parades could still be canceled. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said going from a high wind watch to a high wind warning is her trigger to cancel. The National Weather Service says that warning will start at 9 a.m.
Because of the high winds, New Orleans city leaders are demanding that people leave their tents, umbrellas, and chairs at home and off the parade route.
Both parades, should they roll, are dramatically shortening their routes, too. Zulu will disband at Poydras St.
According to New Orleans Police, the Rex parade will end at the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and Calliope, farther along the route than the original endpoint of St. Charles and Jackson Avenues.
The truck parades that follow will be canceled.
Chief Kirkpatrick said city crews will also have to remove portable toilets ahead of schedule, thanks to the threat of wind.
As part of the effort to get the parades clear from the streets before the weather hits, the parades will be floats-only, with no marching bands or other walking units.