New York Daily News
Strong winds may ground Spidey and pals at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The balloons will fly.
City officials believe the balloons will soar during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade after serious doubts that strong winds could keep them grounded.
However, it was not clear if the balloons would be allowed to fly at full height.
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This year's parade starts at 9 a.m.
The decision came just an hour before the parade was slated to kick off on Thursday, but police said they will still evaluate any safety concerns before giving the final green light.
“Before the event we will make a determination — the Police Department, the incident commander — whether the balloons will fly or not,” said NYPD Chief of Patrol James Hall.
If sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts reach 34 mph, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty and their inflated ilk will be grounded.
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Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer Amy Kule checks out Snoopy's progress on Inflation Eve at the American Museum of Natural History.
But Hall was optimistic that the iconic balloons will soar among the skyscrapers in Midtown. “In discussions we’ve had with the National Weather Service, I think we’ll be in good shape,” he said.
Revelers who flocked to the annual inflating of the balloons on the Upper West Side Wednesday were keeping their fingers crossed.
“I don’t want to see anyone hurt, but my daughter came all the way from Louisiana to see this so I hope it’s not canceled,” said Susan Bowman, 60, a tourist from Virginia.
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New York Daily News
Spectators watch balloons inflated a day before the 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Revelers should bundle up – temps will be frigid.
Each balloon will be manned by between 30 and 60 handlers who train throughout the year to handle the floating giants. During the parade, each balloon is tethered to a vehicle and accompanied by an NYPD supervisor, officials said.
The balloons have failed to fly only once in the parade’s 87-year history. Nasty weather kept them grounded in 1971.
Strong winds have triggered trouble in the past.
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Jennifer Mitchell/Splash News
Papa Smurf will be ready no matter what the weather holds on Thanksgiving.
In 1997, a powerful gust propelled a Cat in the Hat balloon into a light pole at W. 72nd St. A section of the pole broke off and crashed onto paradegoers below, leaving one woman in a coma for 24 days.
Forecasters were calling for a cold and windy Thanksgiving Day with wind-chill temperatures stuck in the teens.
Meteorologist Lauren Nash had two words of advice for paradegoers.
“Bundle up,” said Nash, of the National Weather Service.
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