Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2019: Balloons will fly despite winds, NYPD says

WOODLAND PARK, N.J. – The character balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were given the OK to fly Thursday after high winds threatened to ground them.

The New York Police Department announced their decision before kickoff time at 9 a.m. Temperatures in Manhattan were hovering around 50 degrees Thursday morning around the time of the start of the parade.

A 7 a.m. tweet from the NYPD Midtown North Precinct account said, "As of now the balloons will fly!" and "Let's hope the winds stay calm."

Mayor Bill de Blasio also tweeted, "Good News, New York City: the winds are holding."

Under New York City regulations, winds over 23 mph and gusts over 34 mph call for the balloons to be grounded. On parade day, Macy's officials and the NYPD decide if the balloons will fly based on weather data and official regulations prior to the start of the parade, Macy's spokesman Orlando Veras said earlier in the week.

Veras said each balloon is designed to fly at different heights and angles based on their shape and scale and the exact wind conditions along the route.

Extreme winds caused officials to ground the balloons one other time, in 1971, Veras said.

The regulations were passed after a windy Thanksgiving in 1997 when a Cat in the Hat balloon knocked down a lighting pole, injuring four people.

The balloons were tested earlier in the month in East Rutherford. Balloons are flown there to make sure the new ones can fly safety.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Balloons will fly with high winds