By Wesley Juhl and Richard N. Velotta
Las Vegas Review-Journal
There are some things you need to know if your plan is to party in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.
Yahoo! named Las Vegas the top place in the world to ring in the new year, and anyone who has witnessed a Vegas New Year can attest that it gets wild. Officials are expecting more than 300,000 visitors to come to the valley for the long holiday weekend.
But warn your old acquaintances not to forget it will be cold. National Weather Service meteorologist Chad Shafer said Tuesday that revelers will have to bear temperatures in the mid- to upper-30s about midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Whether wind will be a problem is something to watch for in the coming days. Wind speeds of 10 mph could affect the fireworks show on the Strip, and the forecast on Tuesday was for winds between 5 and 10 mph, Shafer said.
Party-goers should also be aware of the road closures and security measures that will be in place.
If you’re planning to hit up the Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas, be aware that the area under the canopy will be closed to the public at 4 p.m. to prepare for the night’s festivities. It will reopen at 6 p.m.
As always, much of Las Vegas Boulevard and some surrounding areas will be closed to vehicles starting at 5 p.m., when the Interstate 15 flyover ramps to eastbound Tropicana Avenue, Flamingo Road and Spring Mountain Road close.
At 5:45 p.m., all other streets, roads and alleys leading westbound onto Las Vegas Boulevard, from Koval Lane, between Sahara Avenue and Mandalay Bay Road, begin closing with all barricades in place by 6 p.m. Las Vegas police will then begin clearing the boulevard of all remaining cars, and pedestrians can start walking in the street at 6:30 p.m.
The 215 Beltway will stay open, but some of the ramps leading to the Strip will close. Harmon Avenue and the bridge leading into CityCenter from the west and Harmon east of Las Vegas Boulevard will be open only to hotel guests of the properties in the area.
Escalators and elevators on pedestrian bridges across the Strip also will close at 6:30 p.m.
Fireworks spectacular… >>> Continue at Review Journal
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