Organizers and spectators at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will likely be keeping a close eye on the latest weather forecast, because strong gusty winds may be blowing the big balloons in downtown Manhattan on Thursday.

Forecasters from the National Weather Service in New York are calling for steady surface winds of 16 to 20 mph Thanksgiving morning and 21 mph in the early afternoon, with wind gusts expected to range from 26 mph in the morning to 36 mph in the early afternoon.

Some parts of the New York metro region could see occasional peak wind gusts as high 40 to 45 mph, according to the weather service’s current forecast.

New York has strict safety rules dictating how high the iconic Thanksgiving parade balloons can fly, depending on how strong the winds are blowing.

Under

See Full Page