Mother Nature should be more cooperative on weekend
Photos / Facebook Fan Page / Balloon Fest / NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The opening night of the New Smyrna Beach Balloon & Sky Fest has been grounded due to rainy weather. The message on the event's Facebook fan page said it all: "No magic by moonlight tonight. Night show has been cancelled."
Kyle Franklin and and his 'Dracula' plane practice Friday afternoon at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, but the opening night show was cancelled due to rain.
Mother Nature is always the X-factor when it comes to outdoor events like this.
Though it rained most of the day Friday, forcing organizers to call opening night, the weather is supposed to improve significantly Saturday and Sunday.
Weather was a factor a year ago on that Sunday when the manned hot air balloons were unable to land at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport because of strong winds that would have carried them right into the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
Weather was a factor a year ago that Sunday when the manned hot air balloons were unable to land at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport because of strong winds that would have carried them right into the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
The National Weather Service in Melbourne is calling for mostly sunny skies in New Smyrna Beach on Saturday with temperatures in the low 70s.
But here's another X factor: The weather service is predicting Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. The gusts could prove tricky for the early morning landing of the large hot air balloons coming from the West into the airport grounds.
The temperatures will drop to 61 overnight Saturday with a Northeast wind of 5 to 10 mph. Sunday morning looks like it could be the best time for the balloon landings with mostly sunny skies with a high near 75. Winds will be from the East at around 10 mph, again ideal for the balloon portion of the show.