Rose Parade: Al Roker Called out for Fudging Fact About the Event

Al Roker may be a renowned weather forecaster, but even he needs a fact check every now and again. The Today show co-host and meteorologist started out his New Year by attending the 131st Rose Parade and being bombarded with facts after he incorrectly stated that it had never before rained at the annual event.

Viewers of the NBC programming were quick to correct him, pointing out that the 2006 Rose Parade had been inundated by rain.

“[Al Roker,] huge rain storm in 2006,” wrote one viewer.

“It has rained at the parade- 2006, it was so sad- and cold… I never saw a bigger pile of rain ponchos!” tweeted another.

“[Al Roker] [NBC] Not to rain on your parade, Mr. Roker, but in 2006 we attended the [Rose Parade] to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary,” commented a third. “It rained cats and dogs (insert poodle joke).”

Roker, however, was quick to wave the white flag and confess to his mistake, simply responding “Yep” when one viewer tweeted at him with, “[Al Roker] incorrect. It rained on the 2006 Rose Parade. Check your facts!”

Responding to another viewer who wrote that they “stood in the rain and watched the parade back in 2006. It was miserable,” Roker said “I’m old. You’re right.”

Roker is hosting the 2020 Rose Parade with his Today co-host Hoda Kotb, the duo having posed for a quick photo prior to the parade’s start.

With the theme of “The Power of Hope,” the parade kicked off at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET) time in Pasadena and made its way along a 5.5-mile-long route beginning at the corner of Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard. Nearly 800,000 people were expected to crowd the parade route in the hopes of seeing the 44 floats, 17 equestrian groups, and 20 marching bands, according to the Los Angeles Times and NBC Los Angeles. Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, actress Gina Torres, and performer Rita Moreno were this year’s Rose Parade grand marshalls.

The Rose Parade was broadcast by ABC, NBC, the Hallmark Channel and Univision and is being streamed on YouTube by KTLA 5.