Workers inflate the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid balloon as they prepare for the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Wednesday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Workers inflate the Astronaut Snoopy balloon. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Workers inflate the Harold The Fireman balloon. Organizers said high winds may keep some or all of the high-flying balloons out of this year's parade Thursday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Workers inflate the Olaf from Frozen balloon. Organizers said they'll decide shortly before the parade whether the winds will keep the balloons out of the event. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
A balloon waits to be inflated. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Workers inflate the Astronaut Snoopy balloon. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Workers inflate the Love Flies Up to the Sky balloon by Yayoi Kusama. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Workers inflate the SpongeBob SquarePants balloon. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Organizers said they have seven anemometers throughout the parade route to determine if winds are too strong for some of the balloons. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Macy's said none of the balloons will fly Thursday if winds to 23 mph. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Workers take a team photo by the Grinch balloon. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
A workers struggles to move through the netting as she helps inflate the Grinch balloon. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Balloons make their way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The Pikachu balloon makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
A marching band makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The Olaf from Frozen balloon makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The Dino balloon makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
A young woman takes a photo from a window as balloons makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The SpongeBob SquarePants balloon makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The Grinch and Max balloon makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The Grinch and Max balloon makes its way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Santa Clause makes his way down the parade route at the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 28, 2019. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Nov. 27 (UPI) -- New York City officials said they'll have to wait until Thursday to make a "game day" decision about whether the iconic, traditional balloons of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will fly this year.
The New York Police Department said the decision will depend on the wind gusts and forecast in the hours before the parade begins Thursday.
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Organizers have feared for days that strong winds might keep the balloons on the ground this year, but the prospect of such a safety move is nothing new.
"We had the same concerns last year," NYPD Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison said. "It's going to be a game day decision.
"We have supervisors assigned to each one of the 16 character balloons that are trained. We have seven anemometers throughout the route that will determine the wind gusts regarding the height of each one of the balloons."
Macy's said none of the large balloons will fly if sustained winds top 23 mph and gusts 34 mph.
"We are always attuned to weather conditions for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," the department store said. "It is too early to make any determinations regarding the flight of the parade's giant balloons, as we use on the scene data versus forecasts. The parade takes place rain or shine."
Macy added that the balloons are designed to operate at different heights, so those in the parade route could change shortly before the event.
"The decision ... takes into account the weather data along the entire parade route and information from nearby weather stations."
New safety guidelines were introduced after incidents at the 1997 and 2005 parades.