Top Five Thanksgiving Day Parades: Warmth to Greet NYC Spectators; Gusty Winds to Sweep Chicago

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

November 23,2015; 10:42PM,EST

 

 

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As the turkey roasts and the pies bake, millions of Americans kick off Thanksgiving Day festivities by watching or attending some of country's most celebrated parades. Before the meal starts and football games take over television, parades across the country look to dazzle morning viewers with an official start to the holiday season.
While the Macy's parade held in New York City may be the most famous, DreamPlanGo.com compiled a list of four other top parades across the nation. For those heading out to take part in the celebrations, check out the forecast for the morning festivities.
1. New York City- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
A man dressed as Santa Claus rides his float down Sixth Avenue during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
As the 89th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off at 9 a.m. EST on Nov. 26, parade attendees will be greeted by dry and warm conditions.
Thursday's high is expected to hit near the 60-degree Fahrenheit mark, about 10 degrees above normal for this time of year.
"While it will be dry, skies will be cloudy with some sunshine filtering in during the morning hours," AccuWeather Meteorologist Chyna Glenn said.
Without any significant precipitation or wind expected, organizers and balloon handlers should experience ideal conditions as the giant characters float through the city streets.
According to Orlando Veras, Macy's Parade spokesman, giant character balloons cannot be operated when sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts top 34 mph to follow city regulations.
Strong winds have grounded balloons in the past as they can be unsafe to operate in gusty conditions.
On Thanksgiving morning, Macy's and the New York Police Department will determine, with the help of an on-site meteorologist and data from other weather sources, whether the balloons will fly and at what heights, Veras added.
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2. Philadelphia- 6ABC Dunkin' Donuts Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade
Members of the Pennsbury High School Marching Band play during the 94th annual Thanksgiving day parade, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
Celebrating its 96th year, the annual parade will kick off at 8:30 a.m. EST in the city that is known for introducing the idea of a Thanksgiving parade. Mild conditions are in store for the annual festivities.
After strong winds forced limited use of the character balloons last year, calm conditions will make for ideal conditions this Thanksgiving.
While skies will be mostly cloudy, the sun will shine in spots during the morning. Temperatures will hover in the low to mid-50s for the duration of the event. As the day continues, the high could approach the mid-60s, more than 10 degrees above normal for this time of year.
3. Chicago- McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade
The McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade will venture through the streets of Chicago on Thanksgiving morning. (Flickr Photo/Randy Escalada)
Floats and performers will wander through the streets of downtown Chicago on Thanksgiving morning at 8 a.m. CST for the annual parade.
Onlookers and parade participants should dress for cool and potentially wet conditions.
A stray shower or two may put a damper on festivities throughout the parade. Those heading out to watch in person should pack a rain jacket and umbrella as the rain is expected to linger into the afternoon. Heavy rain will move in by Thursday night.
Conditions will be blustery during the parade with wind gusts reaching up to 25 mph, potentially posing a threat to the character balloons.
Temperatures will be slightly above normal for this time of year, reaching into the low 50s toward the end of the parade.
While the windy conditions may diminish some of the holiday spirit, the parade was founded in 1934 to raise the morale of Chicagoans during the Great Depression. It has evolved ever since and now boasts more than 5,000 performers and participants.
4. Detroit- America's Thanksgiving Parade
High-flying balloons hover over the streets of Detroit during the annual Thanksgiving Day parade. (Flickr Photo/Erik Przekop)
Detroit's annual Thanksgiving Day parade will celebrate its 89th year with festivities starting at 8:50 a.m. CST.
As floats and entertainers march down Woodward Avenue, they will face breezy conditions with the chance for a couple of showers.
Skies will be partly cloudy during the morning as on-and-off showers may linger over the city. However, any rain that does fall will be brief.
Enough sunshine will peek through the clouds to make for mostly pleasant conditions for the thousands crammed along Woodward Avenue.
5. Houston- H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade
Street performers and giant balloons take over downtown Houston for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Flickr Photo/Ed Uthman)
Showers may pester the Houston area for the 66th H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade. More than 200,000 are expected to crowd downtown streets for the holiday celebration.
"Stray showers may fall over the area, but it will prove to be a mostly dry morning," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tom Kines said. "Some thunder could rumble in the area, but it is not likely to pose a major threat."
The unsettled weather will bring cloudy skies and breezy conditions as well. However, temperatures are expected to reach into the upper 70s.