A Charlie Brr-own Thanksgiving
LOW TEMPS, HIGH WINDS TO MAKE FOR COLDEST PARADE IN 100 YEARS
Forget about the bird — New Yorkers should worry about defrosting themselves on Thanksgiving.
The coldest Turkey Day in more than 100 years was forecast for the Big Apple, with winds so blustery there was concern the weather could affect the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The mercury was expected to be in the teens, but gusts will likely make conditions feel even more frigid as the parade’s iconic floats make their way through Midtown.
Officials said they still plan to hold the world-famous event but that they would adhere to city weather protocols to ensure people’s safety.
Balloons will be grounded if sustained winds exceed 23 mph, or if gusts break 34 mph, a Transportation Department spokesperson said.
And with officials predicting gusts of up to 35 mph, some revelers feared Mother Nature might spoil the party.
But Mayor de Blasio, speaking at a press conference held not far from where the balloons were being inflated Wednesday night, said he was more worried about the extreme cold.
“Get ready for an amazing parade but put on every layer you have in your household, wear every glove you can find, every scarf, hand warmers, whatever you’ve got — you’re going to need it. I want to tell everyone, be ready to enjoy but recognize it’s going to be really, really cold,” he said.
Police Commissioner James O’Neill said everyone is watching the wind speeds.
“We need everybody in New York City to think positive, keep those winds speed down, so we can get those balloons up as high as they’re supposed to be,” he said.
The Emergency Management Commissioner said the huge balloons are tracked by special machines called anemometers that ensure they’re flown at safe levels.
The National Weather Service said temps in Central Park Thursday could dip as low as 19 degrees.
Four more degrees and Thanksgiving 2018 would beat the record for the coldest one in city history, set on Nov. 30, 1871, when the low was 15.
Thursday will likely challenge the second-coldest Thanksgiving in recorded city history: Nov. 28, 1901, when the mercury sank to 19.
“If our forecast holds, it’s not going to be the coldest, but it’s going to make a run at 2 or 3,” National Weather Service meteorologist Jay Engle said.
The drop in temperature is due to an early-season Arctic front, and Health Department officials said New Yorkers have to be careful if they venture outdoors.
“Stay alert for signs of hypothermia, like intense shivering or dizziness,” said acting Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “If you experience them, seek medical attention or call 911.”