New Orleans Mardi Gras parades rescheduled or canceled due to weather

Officials in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, are canceling Mardi Gras parades this week due to weather concerns, particularly strong winds that have the potential to fling potentially harmful objects into people.

Mardi Gras is a festive celebration that takes place before the start of Lent, a Catholic religious season that starts Tuesday and lasts for 40 days, ending with Easter Sunday. 

The Louisiana city of New Orleans is known for massive parades on the day of Mardi Gras, which is Tuesday. 

This is the first time the parades have had to be canceled or rescheduled recently since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Axios outlet.

The parades in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans are being rescheduled.

The winds are expected to be at 40 mph by noon and hit 60 mph by afternoon. 

Some parade routes will still occur but will just be shortened. 

Rain is also expected to hit New Orleans at 8 p.m. EST, which will negatively impact the events.