Reno Tahoe, NV Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Reno Tahoe's primary NOAA station, RENO TAHOE INTL AP.
The climate verdict for Reno Tahoe
Dryness leads the climate profile for Reno Tahoe, Nevada, with 7.3 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 55°F. At 53/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 31% of scores.
- 55°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 53/100
- comfort score, above 31% of station-mapped location scores
- 7.3"
- annual precipitation · 21" snow
- 186 days
- frost-free growing season
Reno Tahoe: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00023185 · Reno Tahoe, NV 55°F mean · 7.3" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 55°F
- RANK-UPPER #4,117
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Inez
- PRCP-ARID 7.3"
- SWING-MID 41°F
- COMF-LOW 53/100
- LOAD-HEAT 4,669 HDD
- STN-1 USW00023185
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Inez, KY (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every NV station list.
- Reno Tahoe (this station) 55°F
- Cold Clarksburg Bene…, WV 55°F
- Hot Inez, KY 55°F
- Near Lexington, VA 55°F
- Near Warrenton, VA 55°F
Climate Living Index · Reno Tahoe
Reno Tahoe: 37/100 · grade F
Reno Tahoe publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Reno Tahoe, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 53/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 55.0°F · 12.5° from 67.5°F | 59/100 · C |
| Frost-free season | 186 days/year | 54/100 · D |
| Snowfall burden | 20.9 inches/year | 48/100 · D |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 173 calendar days | 30/100 · F |
| Summer moisture balance | 36.9°F mean dew point | 22/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 7.3 in · 27.6 from 35 in | 6/100 · F |
Reno Tahoe · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Reno Tahoe's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 77.2°F
- Coldest month
- 36.2°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Reno Tahoe sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Reno Tahoe's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 60th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 98%
- Reno Tahoe's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 40th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Reno Tahoe compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Reno Tahoe's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
53 31st percentile score exceeds 31% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Reno Tahoe's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 115 complete annual observations from 1892 to 2025, RENO TAHOE INTL AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.23°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Reno Tahoe primary station fitted change +0.23 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48°F (9°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 1.3" | 5.2" | 25.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 52°F (11°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 1.0" | 5.2" | 21.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 59°F (15°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 0.8" | 2.9" | 15.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 65°F (18°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 0.4" | 0.4" | 7.4 | 0.0 |
| May | 74°F (23°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 0.6" | 0.1" | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| June | 85°F (29°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 10.2 |
| July | 94°F (34°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 23.9 |
| August | 92°F (33°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 21.8 |
| September | 84°F (29°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.5 |
| October | 70°F (21°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 0.5" | 0.1" | 5.4 | 0.2 |
| November | 57°F (14°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 0.6" | 1.8" | 19.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 47°F (8°C) | 26°F (-4°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 1.1" | 5.2" | 26.6 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Reno Tahoe works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 95°F by July 21 and hold at or above 90°F on 59 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 114 dates, bottoming at 25°F around December 23.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 30 through August 27, covering 59 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 4 to October 16.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 3, then returns to freezing around November 11, covering 114 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is February 15, when 25% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is August 24 at 5%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 51 wet dates a year.
The widest day
August 30 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 34°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Reno Tahoe.
Where Reno Tahoe Stands Nationally
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 7 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Daily temperature swings run wider than most of the country, peaking near 34°F between the normal high and low.
Reno Tahoe earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 5.2"
6.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.2"
7.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.9"
5.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
4.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
4.4 days with precipitation
3.1 days with precipitation
1.7 days with precipitation
1.6 days with precipitation
2.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
2.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.8"
4.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.2"
6.6 days with precipitation
Reno Tahoe's wet season runs through the cold months
December, January and February carry 46% of the year's precipitation here, while June through August contribute 12%. That is the cool-season-dominant pattern of the West Coast and the higher inland West, where storm tracks swing south in winter and summer turns dry; the thermometer meanwhile shows a 41°F seasonal spread.
- Wettest month
- January, 1.3"
- Driest month
- July, 0.2"
- Wettest three months
- January, December, February (46% of the year)
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A cool-season label means the December-February share reaches 35%. Where snow falls, the monthly figures above report liquid-equivalent precipitation, so a wet winter month is not necessarily a rainy one.
Reno Tahoe is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 51 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 14% of the calendar, and they carry 7.4" between them. At roughly 0.15 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is February at about 7 wet days; the driest is August at about 2.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Reno Tahoe
Reno Tahoe averages 20.9 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 14 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 20.9 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 14 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 28% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 23
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 20
50% probability date
Growing Season
186 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
4,669
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,038
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60% | 4.5 | 27% | 27% |
| February | 52% | 6.5 | 26% | 24% |
| March | 41% | 7.9 | 27% | 18% |
| April | 36% | 8.0 | 31% | 15% |
| May | 34% | 7.7 | 30% | 12% |
| June | 28% | 7.3 | 52% | 5% |
| July | 28% | 6.6 | 49% | 3% |
| August | 29% | 5.8 | 57% | 3% |
| September | 37% | 4.8 | 54% | 6% |
| October | 47% | 4.5 | 39% | 14% |
| November | 58% | 4.9 | 32% | 19% |
| December | 65% | 4.3 | 26% | 27% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside NV closest to Reno Tahoe on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (55°F here).
- Buffalo, MO 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Carmi, IL 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Cassoday, KS 55°F · 0.0°F off
- Charleston, IL 55°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (7.3" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Fruitland, NM 7.3" · 0.0" off
- Bruneau, ID 7.4" · 0.0" off
- Richland, WA 7.3" · 0.1" off
- Bluff, UT 7.3" · 0.1" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Reno Tahoe
heating led · dry · mid swing
Reno Tahoe's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 4,669 annual heating degree days against 1,038 for cooling. Its 41.0°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Reno Tahoe's frost-free season lasts about 186 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Reno Tahoe coldest normal
December
The monthly mean of 36°F (2°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Reno Tahoe typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Reno Tahoe snow peak
January
Reno Tahoe averages 20.9 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Reno Tahoe's climate
How much snow does Reno Tahoe get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Reno Tahoe get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Reno Tahoe? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Reno Tahoe's primary station: RENO TAHOE INTL AP (USW00023185). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Reno Tahoe; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Reno Tahoe comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.