Rain soaks Rose Parade in California and snow squalls hit Midwest and Northeast on first day of 2026
Source: AP
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated 2:46 PM CST, January 1, 2026
Leer en español
Rain poured down on the iconic Rose Parade on Thursday for the first time in 20 years, as flood warnings and evacuation orders in Southern California joined snow squalls and frigid temperatures in the country’s midsection to mark the first day of 2026.
Marching bands, floats and throngs of spectators were soaked by one to two inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) of New Year’s Day rain at the 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena. The mercury stood at a chilly 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 degrees Celsius) at the 8 a.m. start of the parade.
Across the country, in New York City, hats and gloves were as necessary as noisemakers at the city’s New Year’s Eve ball drop, where temperatures near freezing appeared to be the coldest in 10 years.
Hundreds of thousands of people gather along the nearly six-mile (10-kilometer) route in Pasadena, where the two-hour parade kicked off. Millions more watch on national television. Organizers at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the group that organizes the parade ahead of the Rose Bowl college football game, said they made only small changes to accommodate the weather, such as the tops being up on convertibles carrying grand marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and other VIPs.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/rose-parade-new-year-weather-snow-rain-1aeb8c1d7db5d170a3f5c00e7eebff71
= new reply since forum marked as read
So many families with small children, so many marching bands with happy teenagers and young people in their early 20s. Usually the Rose Bowl Parade is a source of joy and enthusiasm, but today they had to march in the rain. Those kids were still proud to be marching in the parade, but I hope they get some sunshine next year.
