Storms could wreak havoc on Thanksgiving travel — but will clear before Macy’s Parade: forecasters – TheWallStreetPost.COM

It won’t be raining on New York City’s parade.

A storm rushing northeast ahead of Thanksgiving may put a damper on the busiest travel time of the year — though the heavy rain and severe wind gusts of up to 45 mph are expected to be gone before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, forecasters said.

The low-pressure storm is expected to lash the Big Apple with strong winds and dump between 1 and 2 inches of rain starting Tuesday — but will make a quick exit by Wednesday afternoon, according to Fox Weather meteorologist Seth Darling.

“Perfect timing as far as Thanksgiving Day but it is going to disrupt travel for anyone trying to get a flight out on Wednesday,” Darling said. “There are likely going to be travel delays, especially with air travel and potentially with roadways in terms of slowdowns.”

However, Thanksgiving travelers may not be out of luck entirely, as the heaviest rains and strongest wind gusts are expected overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to Darling.

Even so, the next two rainy and blustery days aren’t likely to wash away the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is set to breeze down from the Upper West Side into Midtown with the addition of six new floats this year.

While it may be windy this week, in order for the parade to proceed, sustained winds must not exceed 23 mph, while gusts must be below 34 mph — benchmarks the Fox Forecast Center does not anticipate exceeding come Thursday.

At 7 a.m. Thursday, the wind is expected to be between 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph, the meteorologist added.

“It’s going to be a little breezy in the morning for Thanksgiving. They might have to lower the balloons a little for precaution, but it doesn’t look like anything is going to be hindered for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” Darling noted.

While the storm likely won’t leave too strong an impact across the five boroughs, areas upstate near the Vermont border as well as New Hampshire may see between 1 and 3 inches of snow.

Places with higher elevations in the Catskills and parts of northern Massachusetts may also see about an inch or so of flurries.

Ahead of the busy holiday week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday warned that the potential snow and freezing rain could hinder travel upstate.

“We are preparing for the worst case scenario and warning motorists and homeowners and people now who will be traveling locally and outside the region to alter your travel plans,” said a release from the Democrat’s office.

“Do not make next Wednesday be your main day to travel or else you’ll get stuck … at home not able to travel, or … on one of the roads or the New York State Thruway,” the gov’s office added.

Hochul warned New Yorkers to remain vigilant.

“We’re expecting freezing rain, snow accumulations, high winds — everything you would not want to see as you’re heading out for your holiday travels. But the warnings are out there, and I’m asking everyone to heed them at this time,” she said.

The same storm is expected to bring around 3 inches of rain along the I-84 corridor Tuesday, while areas more north near Burlington, Vermont, and New Hampshire may experience flurries, sleet and even some ice, according to Fox Weather.

On Monday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned that this Thanksgiving travel season could be the busiest in the books, as the Transportation Security Administration anticipates some 30 million passengers will go through airport security between Friday, Nov. 17, and Tuesday, Nov. 28.

“This year, we are seeing more people flying than ever with fewer cancellations,” Buttigieg said during a Monday news conference.

The Federal Aviation Administration is expecting nearly 50,000 flights on Wednesday alone.

“While we don’t control the weather, we’re doing everything in our power to keep flights safe and keep cancellations and delays low this Thanksgiving,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.