Wind could put out the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Las Vegas.

Wind could put out the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Las Vegas.

The National Weather Service now says that it will rain in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve 90% of the time. On that day, about 400K people are expected to crowd the Las Vegas Strip to watch more than 11,000 fireworks go off from the roofs of eight Strip casino hotels. The name for it is “America’s Party 2023.”

The Plaza in downtown Las Vegas will also have a separate fireworks show with 150 drones that will light up the sky as a countdown to midnight.

But it’s not the rain that’s the biggest problem for this year’s party. Michael Mack, a representative for Las Vegas Events, told the Associated Press, “We watch out for the wind.”

Every year, a wind speed of 15 mph is used to decide whether or not to start, delay, or cancel the fireworks. The Las Vegas New Year’s Eve fireworks have gone off before when it looked like the wind might be over 15 mph. The National Weather Service says that gusts on Saturday could reach up to 30 mph.

Why wind is not good

A mild wind clears smoke and makes fireworks shows easier to watch. In strong winds, fireworks can go wherever.

Grucci, the family-owned Las Vegas fireworks company, has made many safety changes, but windy conditions make it tougher to stop rare debris fires. Since “duds” can still light up, it’s crucial to know where they’ll land if a firework doesn’t go off.

Steven Ackerman and Jonathan Martin of UW-Department Madison’s of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences claim rain makes fireworks harder to light. Shows can proceed if it’s not raining.

If Clark County cancels the 8-minute fireworks show due to weather, it will be the first time in 22 years. COVID-19 finished the show in 2020.

“America’s Party 2023” will feature fireworks at the MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, Venetian, Resorts World, and Strat.

The Strip will close to cars at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and reopen at 2 a.m. on Sunday, regardless of weather. 16 trash trucks will take up the 12 tons of trash left on Las Vegas Boulevard after the party.