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Winds Could Fizzle Downtown Denver New Year's Fireworks

DENVER (CBS4)- Nearly 150,000 people are expected to ring in 2012 with the fireworks celebration in downtown Denver on New Year's Eve. But this year's festivities could be less than explosive if the weather doesn't cooperate.

Plans call for two fireworks shows, one at 9 p.m. for families and the early-to-bed crowd and one at midnight for night owls.

"Not really a bad place to watch it, anywhere you are on the 16th Street Mall will be a great place to see it," said Visit Denver spokesman Justin Bresler.

Preparations were well underway Friday at the multiple rooftop launch points. There's really no steadfast rule on whether winds will delay the show.

"What it actually boils down to is... there's a little bit of gut instinct and understanding the product and the working relationship between ourselves, the pyrotechnic firm and Denver Fire," said pyrotechnic provider Jim Burnett.

"The fireworks are being set to music this year so we have 10 DJs on the mall and it will be very fun to watch the fireworks with music that they've been choreographed to. That's something new for us," said Downtown Denver Partnership spokeswoman Susan Rogers.

The crowds at New Year's Eve 2010 celebration were small. Only about 20,000 showed up because of the unusually cold temperatures.

This year about 150,000 people are expected with the forecasted milder weather for the weekend.

Denver is rated as one of the best cities to ring in the new year by both Travelocity and Yahoo!.

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