LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas will welcome more than 300,000 revelers to ring in the new year during America's Party on New Year's Eve.
With that in mind, we've rounded up tips, advice and insight from local experts to help you celebrate safely as we all say farewell to 2025.
Watch Channel 13 team coverage of New Year's Eve safety, traffic, weather, and a preview of the fireworks show:
Public safety plans
On Tuesday, we got a preview of plans from local authorities, including police and fire officials who shared their advice for the party-going public. They all had one message in common: However you're celebrating, do not drink and drive.
"Please use those rideshare options. Please be responsible," said Clark County Fire Chief Billy Samuels. "We've had too many on the roads this year. I know Metro's pretty much tired of it, and so is the fire department, our responders having to see that. It's preventable, so please use those options."
The Nevada National Guard will also be deployed Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning, with nearly 200 soldiers assisting law enforcement downtown and on the Strip.
"We want to just reassure you that we do everything we can to keep you and your loved ones safe during the New Year's Eve celebration," said LVMPD Asst. Sheriff Andrew Walsh. "We talk a lot about the tourist corridor, which obviously is where all the visitors are going to be, but we also have plans every year to make sure that we keep our neighborhoods safe."
Last year on New Year's Eve, Southern Nevada emergency dispatchers fielded 900 calls within a 10-hour window — approximately two 911 calls per minute, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief Queen Anunay noted.
Anunay shared a few additional tips for the public, whether you're celebrating at home or out on the town:
- Be mindful of decorations, candles, or open flames and put them out before you leave your home or go to bed.
- Be mindful that noisy celebrations can stress your pets. Put them in a secure area to keep them from getting out and spare yourself the headache and heartache of reuniting with them after the holiday.
- "Please leave the fireworks to the professionals," Anunay added, noting that first responders are deployed for fireworks-related accidents every year on New Year's Eve.
Ringin' in the rain
That's right...our little patch of desert won't be so dry on New Year's Eve. Channel 13 meteorologist Justin Bruce explains what you can expect and when to expect it:
Different computer models are honing in on the idea of a batch of rain happening between Wednesday afternoon and early evening, followed by breaks in the rain and occasional passing showers.
We've got the chance of rain at 70% from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, dropping to 50% from 9 p.m. through midnight. Rain totals during this period will be near 0.10", so nothing torrentially heavy is in the forecast.
The midnight temperature on New Year's Eve will be near 50 degrees, with a mostly cloudy sky.
You can expect another round of scattered showers on New Year's Day (late morning through afternoon is most likely). Highs both Wednesday and Thursday will be chilly, in the upper 50s.
A brief sidebar to discuss umbrellas...
At Tuesday's public safety press conference, Asst. Sheriff Walsh was asked if any New Year's Eve ordinances prohibit umbrellas.
"You can bring it. If it's going to rain and you need one, it's probably a good idea to stay home. That's my message," he joked.
Traffic and alternate routes
Channel 13 traffic reporter Guy Tannenbaum outlines the closures to avoid and alternate routes you can take to get around them:
Road closures will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve, including the closures of Interstate 15 off-ramps at Flamingo, Harmon and Tropicana.
An hour later, at 6:30 p.m., Las Vegas Boulevard will shut down from Spring Mountain at the north to Reno at the south. That includes Flamingo being closed from the Strip across I-15 to Valley View, and Tropicana being closed from Las Vegas Boulevard to I-15.
Nevada Department of Transportation crews will start to re-open I-15 off-ramps and side streets starting at 4 a.m. on New Year's Day, with all closures and restrictions — including those on Las Vegas Boulevard — expected to lift by 10 a.m.
If you need to get in and around the Resort Corridor while New Year's Eve road closures are in place, here are some suggested alternate routes and detours:
- First and foremost, NDOT will keep I-15 off-ramps at Spring Mountain and Russell open, which will be your best shots to exit the 15 near the Strip.
- Spring Mountain (which turns into Sands Avenue east of Las Vegas Boulevard) and Russell will also stay open through the closures, and are good ways to travel east and west across Las Vegas Boulevard and I-15.
- Other good east-west alternate routes across I-15/Las Vegas Boulevard are Desert Inn (which goes over I-15 and under Las Vegas Boulevard, avoiding that traffic entirely), Sahara, Hacienda and Sunset.
- Good north-south alternatives to Las Vegas Boulevard are Valley View and Dean Martin Drive to the west of I-15, and Koval and Paradise to the east of the Strip.
Know before you go
Police will also be enforcing restrictions specific to New Year's Eve on the Strip and downtown along Fremont Street. Those ordinances will be in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. on New Year's Day. Here's what you can't bring with you:
- No glass bottles
- No strollers or carts of any kind
- No large bags, luggage, or any bags larger than 12x16 inches
Police are also reminding the public of the "See something, Say something" program and to report anything suspicious to law enforcement. You can do that by calling 702-828-7777 or 911, or informing the nearest law enforcement officer, Walsh said.
The before-and-after-party
Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson pointed out that New Year's Eve on the Resort Corridor is now a well-oiled machine, albeit with a lot of moving parts.
Ahead of the celebrations on the Las Vegas Strip, he says public works crews will move 3,000 crowd-control barricades into place in preparation for the road closures on Las Vegas Boulevard.
After the party, a "convoy" of street sweepers will patrol Las Vegas Boulevard to pick up an estimated 10 to 12 tons of trash left behind. Gibson described it as a "choreographed" effort, "and it all works and will work again this year, we're sure," he added.