Two of New Year's signature celebrations – the Rose Parade in Southern California and the Midnight Ball in New York City – are expected to experience inclement weather.
Marching bands, floats and crowds of spectators are preparing for rare New Year's rain and even thunder in the prestigious Rose Parade in Pasadena. Across the country, in New York City, hats and gloves were as necessary as noise mufflers on Wednesday's coldest day. ball drop after many years.
Rain forecasts for the 137th Rose Parade, which has been dry for 20 years, have been rising all week.
“It looks like it's wet,” said AccuWeather meteorologist John Feerik. “It might not rain all the time. There may be quite heavy downpours. It’s possible there will be a clap of thunder or two.”
People were allowed to come Wednesday to secure spots along the nearly 6-mile (10-kilometer) route in Pasadena, but forecasts of overnight rain could make the wait unbearable. The two-hour parade begins at 8 a.m. Thursday and is typically attended by hundreds of thousands of people, with millions more watching on national television.
Organizers are making only minor changes, said Candy Carlson, communications director for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the group that organizes the parade before the Rose Bowl college football game.
The top brass will be in convertibles with Grand Marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and other VIPs, she said.
In New York, forecasters are predicting temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit (around zero degrees Celsius) amid snow showers that will see hundreds of thousands of people witness the phenomenon. ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
Midnight temperatures in New York could be the “coldest since early 2017 and 2018,” according to AccuWeather meteorologist Jesse Ferrell.
Rain is also possible in Las Vegas, where several casinos will be releasing fireworks from their rooftops. During Nashville's Big Bash, a New Year's Eve event in the park, temperatures will be around 30 degrees when the illuminated musical note plays. falls at midnight in the city of Tennessee.
Temperatures in New Orleans will be around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (about 7 degrees Celsius) during the free concert and fireworks display along the Mississippi River.
