NEVADA · CLARK COUNTY
Las Vegas Wind Load Requirements
A Mojave Desert valley ringed by mountains — generally moderate winds, but spring downslope gusts and dust outflows write the loads under ASCE 7-16.
SITE SIGNATURE
Desert basin, mountain-channeled wind
The Spring Mountains to the west and the McCullough Range to the south frame a flat valley floor — the passes funnel and accelerate the wind, not a single map number.
WIND & EXPOSURE CONTEXT
What drives the design pressure
Las Vegas loads come from strong spring downslope events and thunderstorm dust outflows over open desert — eased by thin, high-altitude air at roughly 2,000 ft.
Spring Downslope Gusts
March–May brings the year's strongest winds — downslope and frontal gusts off the ranges, the governing event over steady winds.
3-SEC GUSTOpen Desert Terrain
Valley fringe and developing desert read as Exposure C — higher pressures than the sheltered urban Strip core in Exposure B.
EXPOSURE CHigh-Altitude Air
At about 2,000 ft, thinner air lowers density — the ASCE 7-16 ground-elevation factor Ke trims velocity pressure accordingly.
Ke FACTORStrip High-Rise Effects
Closely spaced resort towers create channeling and vortex effects; major buildings often warrant wind-tunnel study.
TALL BUILDINGCOMPLIANCE CHECKLIST
What you need to comply
Clark County and the City of Las Vegas review sealed ASCE 7-16 calculations under the locally adopted 2018 IBC.
Design Wind Speed
100–115 mph (3-sec gust) for Risk Category II; higher categories read a higher-MRI map.
RISK CAT IIExposure Category
Urban Strip and built-out suburbs justify B; open desert fringe defaults to C with site analysis.
B / CGoverning Code
Clark County adopts the 2018 IBC, which references ASCE 7-16 for wind load design.
2018 IBC · ASCE 7-16Elevation & Topo
Apply Ke for the ~2,000 ft valley floor and check Kzt near foothill ridges and escarpments.
Ke · KztNV-Licensed PE Seal
Structural calculations must be prepared or supervised and sealed by a Nevada-licensed PE.
PE SEALC&C + MWFRS
Submit both component-and-cladding and main-system pressures — curtain-wall C&C often governs on towers.
FULL SETOFFICIAL RESOURCES
Las Vegas & Nevada authorities
Verify locally adopted requirements with the jurisdictions and the state licensing board.
EXPLORE MORE
Nearby & statewide
Compare requirements across regions and look up wind speed by location.
RUN THE NUMBERS
Calculate Las Vegas wind loads
Enter an address or zip and get ASCE 7-16 velocity, Exposure B/C guidance, Ke elevation correction, and PE-ready C&C and MWFRS pressures for Clark County submittal.