Rain soaks Rose Parade in California and snow squalls hit Midwest and Northeast on first day of 2026
Flood warnings and evacuation orders in Southern California combined with snowstorms and freezing temperatures in the central part of the country to mark the first day of 2026 brought rain to the iconic Rose Parade on Thursday for the first time in 20 years.
Bands, floats and crowd of spectators The 137th was soaked with one to two inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) of New Year’s Day rain Rose Parade in Pasadena. At 8 a.m. of the parade, the mercury stood at a chilly 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 degrees Celsius).
Across the country, in New York City, hats and gloves were as essential as noisemakers on New Year’s Eve ball dropIt’s the coldest place in the last 10 years, with temperatures near freezing.
Hundreds of thousands of people gather along the nearly 10-mile route in Pasadena, where the two-hour parade begins. Millions more watch on national television. Organizers of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the group that organizes the parade before the Rose Bowl college football game, said they made only minor changes to accommodate weather conditions, such as having the tops of the convertibles carrying grand marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and other VIPs open.
Rain forecasts for Rose Parade, which has been dry for 20 years, have increased all week. On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for all California counties and issued a coastal flood warning through Sunday afternoon along much of the Pacific Coast near San Francisco.
Meanwhile, those living in the areas most affected by the epidemic Last year’s devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area was under an evacuation warning.
The sun came out in front of Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York opening celebrationbut other parts of the Northeast and Midwest were hit by the Alberta clipper storm and an Arctic front that brought blizzards and high winds.
Conditions varied widely, from snowfall to severe storms, from Wisconsin to northern Illinois and Michigan, and from northern New Jersey to southeastern New York and New England.
About a quarter of flights at San Diego International Airport and Boston Logan were delayed, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
