Winds of 15 to 20 miles an hour were expected during the parade, with gusts up to 30 m.p.h. At points, floating balloon creatures, like the Grinch, teetered sideways in the breeze, which induced screams from the crowd. But handlers tugged him and others back into place.

If the winds had hit 23 m.p.h. or the gusts reached 34 m.p.h. the police could have grounded the balloons to avoid repeats of past mishaps and accidents that caused serious injuries. But the parade went on uninterrupted, although it appeared the balloons were not flying as high as usual. (Organizers often fly the balloons lower if they think may become dangerous.)

At drugstores near the parade route, which runs from the Upper West Side to Herald Square, entire displays of handwarmers had sold out before the parade even began. Claire Churchwell, 27, stood in the aisle of a Duane Reade on Columbus Avenue holding her sneakers in her hand and inspecting her feet for frostbite. Finding none, she put on three newly purchased socks on each foot and headed back into the cold.

In a spangly blue dress trimmed with fur, a snowflake in her hair, Jenna Kinder, 15, who had flown from Kentucky to perform with the Spirit of America dancers, had planned ahead. “I’m not cold,” she said. Her secret? “Handwarmers — everywhere.”