NYC Weather: Near-Record Cold In Latest Thanksgiving Forecast

NEW YORK — Here's hoping the balloons don't freeze. New York City could see the coldest Thanksgiving temperatures in more than 150 years on Thursday as bitter wind chills loom over the annual parade, according to the National Weather Service.

A high near 26 degrees is forecast for Thursday, which would tie with Nov. 28, 1901 for the second-coldest Thanksgiving high on record. The mercury is expected to drop to around 18 degrees that night, which would be the most frigid low for the holiday since 1871, according to the weather service.

Wind gusts as strong as 28 MPH will make the air feel even more bone-chilling, the weather service says. The wind chill will make it feel like just 4 degrees at 9 a.m., when the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to kick off, according to the forecast.

Officials warned New Yorkers to bundle up if they're planning to be among the more than 3.5 million spectators expected to attend the parade.

"Listen to your body," Joseph Esposito, the city's emergency management commissioner, said in a statement Wednesday. "If you’re at increased risk for injury or illness due to the extreme cold, significantly limit your time outdoors."

The chill will start to set in Wednesday night, with the temperature also hitting a low around 18 degrees and a 20 percent chance of snow showers in the evening, the weather service says.

Black Friday will be slightly warmer with a high near 32 before temperatures warm up into the 50s over the weekend, according to the weather service.

Here's a closer look at what to expect for Thanksgiving and beyond, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. West wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wednesday Night
A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 18. Wind chill values between 5 and 15. Blustery, with a northwest wind 13 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Thursday (Thanksgiving Day)
Sunny, with a high near 26. Wind chill values between 5 and 15. Northwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 18. Wind chill values between 10 and 15. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light north after midnight.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 32. Light and variable wind.

Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a steady temperature around 31.

Saturday
Rain likely after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday Night
Rain. Low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday
Partly sunny, with a high near 53.

Sunday Night
A chance of drizzle after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Monday
Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 50. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Monday Night
A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

(Lead image: The balloon of Olaf from "Frozen" is seen coming down Central Park West during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2017. Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)