Rose Parade 2015: Thousands brave cold; float winners announced

Full list of winners »

Thousands of people braved an unusually cold morning Thursday to watch the 2015 Rose Parade in Pasadena.

Though the temperature in Pasadena did not break the 1952 record of 32 degrees, a winter storm that has blanketed the western United States still made it a cold one. The National Weather Service said it was 36 degrees.

"I'm with my boyfriend and his family, so they've been doing it for a couple of years. And, they're like, 'Oh, you should totally come out,' and I was like, 'Yeah, what a great idea!' And then I got here and I was like, 'What did I get myself into?' But, it was a lot of fun," said Karli Morgan of Northridge, who was attending for the first time.

The University of Southern California mascot, Tommy Trojan, wore a long coat over his Roman armor and gladiator sandals to keep warm, and Florida State University Seminoles dancers looked freezing in their tights and leotards, according to the Associated Press.

A group of attendees huddled together by a fire pit demonstrated how a sense of community could develop overnight. Colin O'Keefe said he spent the night alone but his $30 fire pit from Target and some wood to burn had attracted others. Donna Stamps, who joined him with her daughter, said someone brought donuts in exchange for letting them keep warm by the fire.

What's the allure of weathering the cold for a parade? 

"Fresh flowers, warm donuts, good friends," Stamps told KPCC.

The Tournament of Roses meanwhile released its list of awards for the best floats, with Dole winning for most beautiful and the City of Torrance winning for best embodiment of this year's theme.

The Torrance float won the Sweepstakes Award. The Dole float took home the Theme Award. Both were both built by Fiesta Parade Floats.

The parade's theme, "Inspiring Stories," was meant to highlight the life of Louis Zamperini, who was named Grand Marshall but passed away earlier this year.

Zamperini, who is the subject of the Angelina Jolie-helmed movie "Unbroken," was a USC and Olympic track star who survived 47 days at sea after his plane crashed in World War II and then endured two years as a prisoner of war.

"He really is the embodiment of inspiring stories, and there was no way we were going to change that," Richard Chinen, president of the 2015 Tournament of Roses, told AP.

Zamperini's son, daughter and other family members rode in a car in his place, according to AP.

The floats this year included one from Princess Cruises that featured the cast members of "The Love Boat."

It was also the first time the Sikh community entered a float. The centerpiece of the design was a replica of the Sikh temple, or gurdwara, in Stockton, Calif. built in 1912.

The Aids Healthcare Foundation had a float honoring the health care workers who have been fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa — including those who have died in the process.

And, of course, there were plenty of floats with a more whimsical theme. As AP reports, crowds roared as a giant pink hippopotamus float twitched its ears and belched blue and white balloons from its mouth.

The La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, whose volunteers were forced to quit decorating for the night on Tuesday because of the weather but managed to complete the float the next morning, were also among the award winners. They won the Founders Award for the most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers from a community.

You can see the full list of winners below.

Rose Parade winners

This story has been updated.