Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to be bogged down by rain

Thousands of people will line the streets of New York City Thursday and millions more will be watching on TV from across the country as the 98th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the holiday. However, spectators and parade-goers alike will need a raincoat, poncho or umbrella to stay dry as rain will soak the event for the first time in years.

•The weather in New York City on Thanksgiving will be significantly different than the past two years, which were dry and much warmer than the historical average.

From the expert: "A steady, soaking rain is expected throughout the parade, and it will be a chilly rain with temperatures in the 40s," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brian Thompson said. "Wind should not be too much of an issue for the balloons, as the wind will be mainly under 20 mph. That's below the threshold of 34 mph wind gusts, which can ground the balloons."

•Temperatures will be in the 40s, but AccuWeather® RealFeel Temperatures will be in the 30s throughout most of the day in the city.

•The last time it rained during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was in 2020, although the rain ended shortly after 11 a.m. ET, allowing the event to conclude with dry conditions. It was also one of the warmest Thanksgivings on record, with temperatures reaching 65 degrees in the afternoon.

•The wettest Thanksgiving on record was in 2006 when 1.72 inches of rain drenched New York City.

•Since 1954, it has only snowed on one Thanksgiving in New York City, and that was initially 1989, when 4.4 inches accumulated.

The Big Bird balloon makes its way down a rainy Broadway during the 80th Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, November 23, 2006 in New York City. Due to the weather conditions, the balloons were flown much lower than normal to avoid any mishaps.(Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)

•Thanksgiving will be the warmest day of the extended holiday weekend in the Big Apple with a surge of bitterly cold air chilling the eastern United States. Motorists heading westward to the Great Lakes region may encounter extreme lake-effect snow that could shut down roads.

From the expert: "The cold blast will feel like January and will deliver a significant shock to hundreds of millions of people who may have gotten used to warm conditions during much of the autumn," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said