Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Balloons for the Aflac Duck and Macy's are ready to go for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But windy conditions could keep them out of the sky on Thursday. Windy conditions might ground these Thanksgiving balloons

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Balloons for the Aflac Duck and Macy's are ready to go for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But windy conditions could keep them out of the sky on Thursday.

Balloons are being inflated in New York for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

But will they even fly?

Windy conditions are expected on Thursday, and city regulations say that the balloons cannot be flown when sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts exceed 34 mph.

It's a safety issue. In 1997, the Cat in the Hat balloon injured four people after intense winds forced it astray.