45°
It was 26 degrees under clear sunny skies just before 11 a.m. Sunday, making for frigid conditions for the noon parade. But the strong northwest winds were the big problem for the balloons. Organizers did a wind test at 9 a.m. and measured sustained winds at 25 mph, which is the threshold for launching the crowd-pleasing characters, parade officials said.
But the rest of the parade will go on as planned, with bands, floats, entertainers, clowns and more along the route -- as well as a special appearance by Santa Claus himself.
The parade will proceed through downtown Stamford, starting at Hoyt and Summer streets, and heading down Summer to Broad Street to Atlantic Street and ending at Federal Street. With all the street closures Sunday morning, follow this free parking guide www.stamford-downtown.com to know your way around. You'll want to claim at spot with the perfect view along the nearly 1-mile route, too.
The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory for all of Fairfield County until 6 p.m. Sunday. Winds of 15 to 25 mph were predicted for the area, with gusts of up to 45 mph. The strongest winds were predicted for late morning through late afternoon.
A Red Flag Advisory was also issued. Dry and windy conditions are favorable for the spread of wildfires, the National Weather Service said. Along with strong winds, the relative humidity may be as low as 25 percent. Fire could spread rapidly if ignited, the weather service said.
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