The beloved balloons were flying, if lower than usual, as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began after an anxious weather watch Thursday morning. Parade officials and the New York Police Department had been keeping an eye on wind gauges along the 2.5-mile parade route that snakes through Manhattan. But Macy’s Vice President Susan Tercero made an announcement a half-hour before the parade that the balloons would fly, albeit at a lower level. The National Weather Service is projecting sustained winds of up to 24 mph with gusts to 40 mph during the parade. City rules require balloons to be grounded if sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts exceed 34 mph.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 28, 2019 12:45 UTC