WATERLOO -- The My Waterloo Days parade today won't be televised for the first time in 22 years due to inclement weather.

The parade will start at 9:30 a.m. rain or shine, but KWWL-TV officials said it's too dangerous to cover it live. Thunderstorms on Friday didn't allow workers to safely prepare for the event, and the threat of more bad weather this morning forced the station to limit coverage to the evening news. KWWL started covering the event live in 1985.

Jon Okerstrom, KWWL news director, said preparing a multicamera shoot is time-intensive. Hundreds of feet of cable need to be run, connecting cameras, the announcing booth and the video truck. The parade is the largest shoot the station does each year.

With thunderstorms, there's always the chance for lightning, and Okerstrom said the company wants to insure the safety of its employees.

"When you use a microwave truck with an aluminum mast, you're essentially creating a lightning rod that can feed into the whole network. You don't want that," Okerstrom said.

"We hate to have to scrub it, but we have to put safety first," Okerstrom said.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says there's a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms locally today, mainly after 1 p.m. Otherwise, skies are expected to be partly cloudy with a high of 75 degrees. Rain amounts of up to .25 inches could occur.

Tonight, the forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., with a low of 57. Less than .10 inches of additional precipitation is expected.

KWWL officials know the decision will impact viewers who love to watch the parade but are unable to attend.

Parade organizers will keep close tabs on the weather. Bob Justis, Cedar Valley Chamber of Commerce president, encourages people to come downtown to enjoy the festivities. The parade will start at Jefferson and Fourth streets, travel north up Fourth Street to Mulberry Street, turn right on Mulberry to Fifth Street and travel south to Bluff Street.

Justis said it will be up to officials with Community National Bank, the parade sponsor, to cancel it if dangerous weather conditions exist.

"If it's just rain, we'll continue to have the parade," Justis said. "Of course we're disappointed we won't have live coverage, but we understand and respect the decision of KWWL."

He added the same weather rules apply for the blowout at Byrnes Park tonight. The only way festivities will be canceled, including the rock 'n' roll show by '80s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, is dangerous weather like lightning.

"The stage is covered at Byrnes. We do our best to protect the musicians," Justis said. "It's a rain or shine event, … but always safety is first."

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.