NEW YORK – This year the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place in New York City. Despite the threat of a winter storm in the Northeast on Thursday, preparations are in full swing to continue the holiday tradition this year.

The FOX Forecast Center said a Thanksgiving Day storm will bring rain throughout the parade, with some heavy downpours.

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While rain is expected across the region on Thursday, winds will not pick up until later Thursday afternoon.

The FOX Forecast Center said Thursday’s rainfall total was likely to be between half an inch and an inch, but should fall over the course of 6 to 12 hours.

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This graphic shows the parameters that could change the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

(FOX Weather)

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are huge, and wind plays a critical role in the parade’s logistics and safety measures.

The FOX Forecast Center expects winds to be around 10-20 mph with some stronger gusts.

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And that’s good news for those who want to catch a glimpse of the balloons floating over the streets of New York.

Winds of this strength may not seem like much, but controlling the balloons can become much more difficult as the wind increases.

The iconic balloons cannot fly when sustained winds reach 23 mph and/or gusts reach 34 mph.

So far it looks like winds will remain below these thresholds.

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The Barney balloon during the 1997 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

(NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

In 1997, wind pushed a balloon into a lamppost, causing it to fall to the ground and injuring a bystander. During the same parade, another balloon burst and deflated the street.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the second oldest in the country. The Philadelphia parade celebrates its 105th anniversary on Thursday.