Photo: Trevor Bexon · CC BY 2.0Reno’s winters are milder than most of the U.S., with about 21 inches of snow in Reno Tahoe International Airport
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Reno at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Reno’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Reno’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Reno feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Reno Tahoe International Airport, 6 miles from the city’s center point, 510 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Reno’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Reno Tahoe International Airport, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 51 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Reno
82% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Reno Tahoe International Airport.
Living with Reno’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 201 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Reno from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Reno and its neighbors
Verdi has the coldest January nights next door (22°, 3° colder) and Sparks the hottest July afternoons (92°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Reno’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reno, NV | 25° | 89° | 11" | 21" |
| Selah, WA | 25° | 88° | 10" | 20" |
| Kimberly, ID | 22° | 90° | 10" | 24" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Reno averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods. In a city of 284,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Reno compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Reno’s place among Nevada’s.
Reno weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Reno’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Reno Tahoe International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 25° | 1.9" | 5.2" | 7 | 6 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 1.7" | 5.2" | 7 | 2 | 31° – 45° |
| March | 54° | 31° | 1.3" | 2.9" | 6 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 49° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 89° | 56° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 87° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 67° | 38° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 53° | 29° | 1.0" | 1.8" | 4 | 1 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 24° | 1.9" | 5.2" | 7 | 4 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 64° | 38° | 11.2" | 20.9" | 51 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Reno’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Reno’s center.
- Snow: Reno Tahoe International Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Reno Tahoe International Airport, 6 miles from the city’s center point, 510 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Reno’s climate
What is the weather like in Reno?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Reno in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Reno get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Reno Tahoe International Airport, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Reno?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 56°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Reno Tahoe International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Reno?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Reno Tahoe International Airport.
What growing zone is Reno in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Reno?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Reno getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Reno.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.