WASHINGTON — It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas all over D.C. One sure sign that the holiday season has arrived is the lighting of the National Christmas Tree. The ceremony takes place on Thursday night.
With gusty winds in the forecast ahead of the celebration, should we be worried about a repeat of last year? In case you forgot, a gust of wind snapped a cable holding the tree up. Still, National Park Service representatives were able to stand up the fully decorated tree, holding it down with additional cables and concrete blocks. Last year's lighting ceremony went off without a hitch, but about 20 ornaments broke.
According to WUSA9's Weather Impact team, a strong cold front will blast through the DMV overnight Wednesday into early Thursday morning. Winds will gust well over 40 mph late Wednesday night and remain strong all of Thursday. A Weather Impact Alert has been issued.
However, National Park Service spokesperson Chelsey McLin tells WUSA9 that the tree is secure.
"This year’s tree is held down by eight cables that we feel confident will sustain the current wind predictions," McLin said.
When we checked on preparations Wednesday, we could see the cables connected to the tree.
Bear in mind, there are several road closures and parking restrictions in place for the tree-lighting ceremony. Here's everything you need to know.
The tree-lighting ceremony will be streamed LIVE on WUSA9+ on Thursday.