Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, which include giant likenesses of Snoopy, Super Grover and Garfield, may fly lower over the streets of New York this year to reduce the chance of wind-related accidents.

Winds may reach 20 miles (32 kilometers) per hour tomorrow, just shy of the 23 mph threshold at which parade organizers and the New York Police Department have agreed to pull the cartoon characters out of the parade, according to Macy's spokeswoman Elina Kazan. A lower altitude allows the dozens of handlers manning each balloon better control, she said.

``If, unfortunately, the winds were to get high enough that we thought it was unsafe to have the balloons at all, we would pull them off the side streets and deflate them,'' Mayor Michael Bloomberg said today. ``While we all want to see the big balloons, we certainly don't want anybody to get hurt.''

Greater scrutiny has been placed on the balloons and route after Mars Inc.'s M&M's candies balloon snagged a lamp post last year, injuring two people. As 3.5 million spectators stake out spots for the 80th annual march in Manhattan tomorrow, balloon handlers will keep an eye on seven new wind meters measuring gusts at the height the balloons will travel, Kazan said.

``The higher the winds, the lower the balloons,'' she said.

The familiar faces, including a 63-foot-long Big Bird and a 62-foot Sponge Bob Square Pants, will be grounded if winds top 23 mph, or if gusts are higher than 34 mph, Kazan said.

Safety Concerns

The accident last year prompted a city task force to review safety concerns, including the width of the 2.5-mile parade route. The path down Central Park West and onto Broadway must be at least 56 feet wide at the height the balloons fly, without light posts, terraces or other obstructions, Kazan said.

Each character is also accompanied by an escort reading wind speed from a portable meter, and a police officer trained to handle balloon-related safety concerns.

Tomorrow's forecast calls for winds from 15 mph to 20 mph, with gusts of 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will be in the mid 50s, about normal for this time of year, and rain is likely throughout the day.

``It's going to be a raw, breezy, chilly Thanksgiving Day Parade,'' said Gary Conte, a weather service meteorologist.

Rain and wind is forecast for tonight, when parade organizers inflate the giant balloons near the American Museum of Natural History. Spectators can watch as the characters take shape on West 77th and West 81st Streets, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

In addition to the millions along the route, 44 million more watch NBC Universal's televised broadcast of the event. It has become as much a part of the American holiday as turkey and football, Kazan said.

``It's become a multigenerational favorite,'' she said. ``There are a lot of grandparents and parents who have grown up with us and the parade, and they continue to welcome us into their homes.''

The mayor is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.

To contact the reporter on this story: Courtney Dentch in New York at cdentch1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 22, 2006 14:28 EST