Weather Takes Center Stage for Rose Parade and NYE Ball Drop Celebrations

The 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena will see rain for the first time in two decades, while NYC braces for frigid temperatures to ring in the New Year.

Seven-foot-tall numerals for "2026" are displayed during an illumination ceremony at One Times Square in New York City on Dec. 26, 2025, ahead of this year's New Year's Eve celebration. Timothy A. Clary /AFP via Getty Images

As the nation is gearing up to ring in the New Year, some of its most beloved celebrations from coast to coast are bracing for some unwelcome weather conditions.

For the first time in 20 years, the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, now celebrating its 137th year, is anticipating rain, on the heels of one of the wettest Christmas seasons in Southern California.