The start of 2025 will be wet.

New Year’s Eve in Times Square will almost certainly be drenched, according to the National Weather Service, which forecasts light to moderate precipitation beginning in the evening hours of 2024.

“Unfortunately,” said Weather Service meteorologist Matt Wunsch, adding, “It is expected to rain until midnight.”

Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, which oversees the famous New Year’s Eve ball-drop countdown event, is confident that attendance will not be dampened given the forecast late start to the rain and relatively warm weather – in the low 50s .

“I’m the eternal optimist,” Harris told Newsday.

The number of visitors is usually less than 100,000.

Preparations are underway for the ball drop, which will launch from a flagpole at One Times Square at West 43rd Street and Broadway shortly after 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. More than a ton of confetti is then showered on the celebrants. “Auld Lang Syne” is sung.

The tradition of ringing in the New Year in Long Acre Square began in 1904, when revelers gathered in what later became Times Square. In 1907 a ball throw was added. It is now made of crystal.

On Saturday, people lined up in Times Square to write wishes on a piece of confetti that would be released at midnight “for all the world to see.”

For those planning to stand outside all day on Tuesday, raincoats, ponchos, hats and hoods are the best protection from the elements, as umbrellas are banned for safety reasons.

Since 1907, about 37% of New Year’s Eves in the Times Square area have had measurable precipitation, according to a Weather Service compilation. The record temperature, recorded in 1965 at the time the ball was dropped, was 58 degrees.

On the eve of December 31st, public access to Times Square will only be through 6th or 8th Avenue, and crossing Broadway and 7th Avenue will no longer be permitted once the streets are closed by police. According to the Times Square Alliance, the best viewing spots are along Broadway, from 43rd to 50th Streets, and along 7th Avenue. You can see the spectacle as far as 59th Street. Public transport to and from is recommended.

The road closures begin at 43rd Street and Broadway and spread downtown as the pens fill with visitors. There are no public toilets and leaving a pen will likely mean losing the space.

For those who prefer to stay at home, the ball drop ceremony will be streamed on TimesSquareNYC.org and broadcast on WABC-TV Channel 7.

Performers include singer-songwriter Mark Ambor, country singer Mickey Guyton, as well as Carrie Underwood, Megan Moroney, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the Jonas Brothers and TLC.

The ball drop from One Times Square will kick off a year in which residents are expected to return to the building for the first time in at least 60 years, according to Sherri White, the developer and executive in charge of the $500 million renovation and reopening Owner, Jamestown LP.

The 26-story building is expected to open in mid-2025 and will feature a museum and observation deck (entrance tickets are expected to cost about $40), as well as glass outdoor elevators. From New Year’s Eve 2025 there will be a New Year’s Eve party on the deck.

Add to that the cost of advertising on the giant LED billboards that surround the building: $120,000 to $1 million, depending on the time of day and the number of hours an advertiser is looking.

“It’s impressive because this is the most photographed building,” she said, “so that’s what gets you social media.”

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.