Rain on Pasadena’s Parade? Not Likely

Rain should not be a problem for the Rose Parade, according to the National Weather Service. Just a 20% chance of rain was forecast for Pasadena with temperatures today ranging from the high 30s to the low 60s.

But rain or shine, the latest storms left nearly 14,000 parking spaces at Brookside Golf Course either soggy or underwater. Rose Bowl officials Friday called for people to take public transportation to the game.

Among the options: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the Gold Line was prepared to take more than 30,000 additional riders to the Memorial Park station, where people going to the game can walk three blocks to the Parson’s Engineering complex at Walnut Street and Fair Oaks Avenue for a free shuttle to the Rose Bowl.

There are 2,000 parking spaces at Union Station downtown.

“It’s going to be a beautiful day,” said Darryl Dunn, general manager of the Rose Bowl Operating Co. “People just need to leave earlier, and recognize there is a situation.”

“We’re hoping all the weather forecasters are correct” and it won’t rain, said Bill Flinn, chief operating officer of the Tournament of Roses. “People are going to be wondering how we are able to control this.

“But in perspective of all the things going on today, a little rain on our parade is OK,” he added.

The rain Friday was enough to dampen the traditional throngs of campers who gather on Colorado Boulevard the day before the event.

By Friday afternoon, there was still plenty of sidewalk space along the parade route, with only a few hundred early arrivals staking spots.