New Year’s Eve rain forecast cancels Southern Nevada block party
One Southern Nevada New Year’s Eve event may have been canceled because of rain forecasts, but meteorologists don’t expect weather to cancel much of anything on the Las Vegas Strip.
Main Street Boulder City Director Michelle Caven released a statement Tuesday announcing the cancellation of the city’s scheduled block party. She said organizers know that people are “understandably disappointed,” but the combination of a 50 percent to 70 percent chance of rain along with cold temperatures and high humidity was too risky.
“With outdoor staging, sound, lighting and electrical production involved, this puts us beyond our safety and production threshold for moving forward,” Caven said. “After communicating with our downtown businesses and event partners and talking through the risks, we’ve made the decision to cancel the New Year’s Eve Street Party.”
Tourists on the Strip or Fremont Street should not expect many disruptions, however.
Chris Outler of the National Weather Service said in an interview Tuesday that models are showing that the bulk of the rain will come between 5 and 10 p.m., with a 60 percent to 70 percent chance of rain for the greater Las Vegas Valley.
It will be chilly, too, with a low of 48 degrees Wednesday night.
“We’re not expecting it to be a washout, but it’s just going to be a little wet and drizzly,” Outler said.
When it comes to fireworks, the bigger factor is wind, Outler said. Rain could affect visibility of the fireworks but doesn’t present any safety concerns.
Meteorologists are expecting only light winds at less than 5 mph, Outler said, which could cause firework smoke to stay around into the early morning hours as a haze.
Because of the anticipated firework displays, the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability issued a smoke advisory for Wednesday and Thursday, warning that both smoke and particulates will linger in the air.
High levels are most problematic for people with respiratory issues, cardiac disease, young children or senior citizens, according to a Tuesday news release.
Officials recommend limiting outdoor activity, keeping windows closed and changing indoor air filters.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.
