Keep the raincoats and umbrellas handy if you’re out and about on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on New Year’s Eve and on Jan. 1. It just might get wet. Rain is in the forecast for New Year’s Day — and that means that the Tournament of Roses Parade could see rain for only the 11th time in it s illustrious history. That’s right. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation on Thursday — New Year’s Day — according to the National Weather Service. That’s on the heels of a really rainy Southern California week. Opening day at Santa Anita even had to be pushed back from the day after Christmas to Sunday. The last time it rained on Pasadena’s parade would be 2006. Related: ‘Worst year ever’: Storm hits businesses in Altadena’s Mariposa Junction, drawing waves of helpers  It’s not looking like too heavy of a storm, but some time after the clock chimes in the new year, light rain is expected to move in, and it will get heavier during New Year’s Day, with likely a half to 1 inch expected in this storm, said NWS Meteorologist David Gomberg. One weather model shows the rain window lasting between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a good chance of raining on the Rose Bowl Game, which begins earlier, at 1 p.m. “I think it’s safe to say, there’s a pretty decent chance of some rain during the parade and the Rose Bowl,” Gomberg said. “The question is how much.” Disney characters carry umbrellas as they make their way way down Colorado Boulevard during the 117th Annual Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 2, 2006, in Pasadena, Calif. It rained on the Rose Parade for the first time in more than a half century. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/AP) For 137 parades, 11 rainy days at the Rose Parade is not a bad precipitation-on-parade ratio, though there’s been a fair share of close calls. In some Pasadena and Southern California circles, the rain ratio has taken on somewhat legendary status in looking at the history of the event. Some don’t even like to talk about the forecast much, fearing they might jinx it. This year, of course, there’s a weightier concern, as the parade itself will be just a short distance from where the Eaton fire destroyed thousands of homes and claimed 19 lives in its footprint, which extends from Altadena to Pasadena and Sierra Madre. The recent weather had already caused some damage, while also raising concerns for more in the fire-scarred reas. This coming storm won’t be the kind of atmospheric river that has blanketed the region in recent days. In fact, Gomberg said the early-season rain is a bit of a blessing and contrast to the extreme conditions that culminated last January in the destruction. At the end of last year, vegetation was dry, and ripe to be fuel for fire, catalyzed by the fierce winds. And while there is an expected Santa Ana wind event expected on Monday, the rains will have diluted the fuels that would feed any fire danger. Many New Years Days come around with maybe some drama over a forecast of a little moisture, but in the end, the coast, as they say, is traditionally been clear. It has been clear since 2006. And the parade — from its grand marshals to marching bands to hundreds of thousands of spectators — enjoy a day of weather that lives up to the Southern California climate hype, albeit with sometimes threatening skies. Still, there’s the question of why. Why does it so rarely rain on the Rose Parade? Clouds pass over the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News, SCNG) Most of the time, Gomberg, it’s pure luck of the draw.” Here’s what we know: It’s no secret that the climate in Pasadena — that’s 34.14°N 118.15°W (elevation 797 feet), for those of you keeping score — makes it an ideal spot for a parade. It makes for those gorgeous “Chamber of Commerce” days broadcast out to the whole wide world on Jan. 1 each year. There are theories about the influence of annual weather systems that bring the wet stuff to the area. But in the end, there is not necessarily a big, grandiose explanation. Meteorologists say that Jan. 1 just happens to come in a pocket of time between storms, which signal the beginning of the heart of the region’s rainy season but is not the thick of that season. At this point in the season, the average chance of rain has been around 11%. Jan. 1 just usually tends to falls into that 90% without rain. Combine that with the region’s generally Mediterranean climate — dry summers and mild, wet winters — and you’ve got a recipe that would have the first Rose Parade sponsors, such as Charles Frederick Holder and his buddies at the Valley Hunt Club back in 1890, smiling. For them, climate was the whole point in selling the area. The world could see the region’s abundance of flowers and sun, even in the winter. “In New York, people are buried in snow,” announced Holder at a Valley Hunt Club meeting many years ago. “Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let’s hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise.” Though the Rose Parade itself — from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. — has never been canceled because of rain, it has been rained on 10 times in parade history, according to archivists: 1895, 1899, 1906, 1910, 1916, 1922, 1934, 1937, 1955 and 2006. If you do the math, it rains on the Rose Parade nearly 8% of the time, which isn’t all that far from 11%. When it does rain on the parade, it’s usually a bit of a thing – like in much of Southern California, which gets dramatic when even moderate rains come. When it rains on the parade, it’s often remembered. Even if it doesn’t rain on parade day, wet weather in the days leading up to the big day can wreak some havoc: Overnight campers on Colorado beware. For instance, on Dec. 29, 2021, hundreds of the country’s best marching band musicians slogged through a storm amid the annual Bandfest — a popular pre-parade event in Pasadena. Some bands did not perform but most simply donned ponchos and other foul-weather gear and toughed it out. But even then, clouds parted for the parade itself on New Year’s Day and bands strode in the sunshine on the first day of 2022. For their part, Tournament of Roses officials are keeping, ahem, a rosy, albeit understated disposition about that word: rain. “At the Tournament of Roses, we try not to use that word,” said Tournament CEO David Eads. “History tells us the sun usually shows up right on time. No matter the weather, we are prepared and the Rose Parade will be magical.” The Rose Court during the 117th Annual Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 2, 2006, in Pasadena, Calif. It rained on the Rose Parade for the first time in more than a half century. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG) A SUNNY DISPOSITION It has rained 10 times in Rose Parade history: 1895, 1899, 1906, 1910, 1916, 1922, 1934, 1937, 1955 and 2006. Rain has never canceled the Parade – the Parade continues rain or shine. Here’s a look at memorable rain-related events: 1895 – Rained for the entire week before the Parade and during Parade. 1899 – The parade was delayed until 3:45 due to rain. 1910 – Parade postponed until noon, chariot races postponed for one week due to rain. 1934 – Twelve inches of rain fell on Pasadena in the 48 hours prior to the Parade which was themed “Tales of the Seven Seas.” The Grand Marshal, Admiral William Sims, nearly missed the Parade when the storm grew so violent that he was unable to leave the U.S.S. Pennsylvania where he was a guest of honor the night before. 1937 – A rainstorm struck the night before the Parade, and though the downpour was heavy and decorating tents were damaged, volunteers continued decorating and the Parade went on as scheduled. 1955 – Though it rained New Year’s Day during the Parade, the show did go on, and on time too. 2006 – It heavily rained throughout the 2006 Rose Parade, which stepped off right on schedule. 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