Reno Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Reno, Nevada has snow.

There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Reno usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the city normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when Reno can expect the first and last snowfalls of the season.

The first set of monthly snow totals are averages for 2010 to 2019. All the other numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1991 to 2020 at the Reno - Tahoe International Airport, located near downtown Reno.

How Often it Snows in Reno

The next two tables list monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).

10-year snowfall averages at Reno, 2010 to 2019
Days   Inches Centi­metres
1.3 January 4.1 10.5
2.0 February 6.8 17.4
0.6 March 3.6 9.2
0.0 April 0.1 0.3
0.0 May 0.0 0.1
0.0 September 0.0 0.0
0.0 October 0.0 0.0
0.4 November 1.3 3.2
1.3 December 3.6 9.1
5.6 Year 19.6 49.9
30-year snowfall averages at Reno, 1991 to 2020
Days   Inches Centi­metres
3.4 January 5.2 13.2
3.3 February 5.2 13.2
2.0 March 2.9 7.4
0.7 April 0.4 1.0
0.2 May 0.1 0.3
0.0 September 0.0 0.0
0.1 October 0.1 0.3
1.2 November 1.8 4.6
3.0 December 5.2 13.2
13.9 Year 20.9 53.1

These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Reno differs from year to year.

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 6.4 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 1.3 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 7.6 inches, while the lightest years get less than half an inch.

New snow for February ranges from 6.7 inches or more in heavy snowfall years to under an inch in light years.

When Reno Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Reno usually arrives in November or December. But it can start snowing as early as October.

In most years, Reno has its last snowfall in March, although snow can land there in April or May.

The city is normally free of snow every year from June to September.

How Many Snowstorms Reno Gets

Most days of snowfall in Reno leave just a skiff, amounting to less than an inch, of fresh snow on the ground. For 6 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day don't occur every year. Major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are not normal for Reno.

Number of days per month and year on average in Reno with a total snowfall of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches
1 inch
2.5 cm
3 inches
7.6 cm
  5 inches
12.7 cm
10 inches
25.4 cm
1.6 0.5 January 0.2 0.0
1.6 0.6 February 0.2 0.0
0.8 0.1 March 0.1 0.0
0.1 0.0 April 0.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 May 0.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 October 0.0 0.0
0.6 0.2 November 0.0 0.0
1.2 0.4 December 0.2 0.0
5.9 1.8 Year 0.7 0.0

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Reno

For most of winter, Reno has less than an inch of snow on the ground.

Snow mainly accumulates during January. Typically for one day a year, the snowpack at Reno builds up to at least ten inches deep.

Average total days per month and year in Reno with snow depth of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches on the ground
1 inch
2.5 cm
3 inches
7.6 cm
  5 inches
12.7 cm
10 inches
25.4 cm
5.5 3.3 January 2.2 1.2
2.4 0.9 February 0.3 0.0
1.0 0.3 March 0.1 0.0
0.1 0.0 April 0.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 May 0.0 0.0
0.9 0.3 November 0.1 0.0
4.0 1.4 December 0.7 0.1
13.9 6.2 Year 3.4 1.3
References

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Month and Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Climate Normals.

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