The landlocked U.S. state of Nevada has a varied geography and is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province and is broken up by many north–south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have endorheic valleys between them.

Mountains west of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert
A landscape shot of a long, dry valley. The sky is partially clouded over but blue sky breaks through in patches. It is a showcase of Nevada's natural beauty.
A valley near Pyramid Lake
Topographic map of Nevada

Overview

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Much of the northern part of the state is within the Great Basin, a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Occasionally, moisture from the Arizona Monsoon will cause summer thunderstorms; Pacific storms may blanket the area with snow. The state's highest recorded temperature was 125 °F (52 °C) in Laughlin (elevation of 605 feet or 184 meters) on June 29, 1994.[1] The coldest recorded temperature was −52 °F (−47 °C) set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.[1]

The Humboldt River crosses the state from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the Humboldt Sink near Lovelock. Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including the Walker, Truckee, and Carson rivers. All of these rivers are endorheic basins, ending in Walker Lake, Pyramid Lake, and the Carson Sink, respectively. However, not all of Nevada is within the Great Basin. Tributaries of the Snake River drain the far north, while the Colorado River, which also forms much of the boundary with Arizona, drains much of southern Nevada.

The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above 13,000 feet (4,000 m), harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating sky islands for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than 3,000 feet (910 m), while some in central Nevada are above 6,000 feet (1,800 m).

 
Little Finland rock formation in Nevada

The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the Mojave Desert. The area receives less rain in the winter but is closer to the Arizona Monsoon in the summer. The terrain is also lower, mostly below 4,000 feet (1,200 m), creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights.

Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal line (in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state boundary at just over 400 miles (640 km). This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge 12 miles (19 km) southwest of the Laughlin Bridge.

The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the Spring Mountain Range, just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin.

Nevada has 172 mountain summits with 2,000 feet (610 m) of prominence. Nevada ranks second in the United States by the number of mountains, behind Alaska, and ahead of California, Montana, and Washington.[2]

Climate

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Köppen climate types of Nevada, using 1991-2020 climate normals.

Nevada is the driest state in the United States.[3] It is made up of mostly desert and semi-arid climate regions, and, with the exception of the Las Vegas Valley, the average summer diurnal temperature range approaches 40 °F (22 °C) in much of the state. While winters in northern Nevada are long and fairly cold, the winter season in the southern part of the state tends to be of short duration and mild. Most parts of Nevada receive scarce precipitation during the year. The most rain that falls in the state falls on the east and northeast slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

The average annual rainfall per year is about 7 inches (180 mm); the wettest parts get around 40 inches (1,000 mm). Nevada's highest recorded temperature is 125 °F (52 °C) at Laughlin on June 29, 1994, and the lowest recorded temperature is −50 °F (−46 °C) at San Jacinto on January 8, 1937. Nevada's 125 °F (52 °C) reading is the third highest statewide record high temperature of a U.S. state, just behind Arizona's 128 °F (53 °C) reading and California's 134 °F (57 °C) reading.

Climate data

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Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Nevada[4]
Location July (°F) July (°C) December (°F) December (°C)
Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min
Las Vegas 106 81 41 27 56 38 13 3
Reno 92 57 33 14 45 25 7 –4
Carson City 89 52 32 11 45 22 7 –5
Elko 90 50 32 10 37 14 2 –9
Fallon 92 54 33 12 45 19 7 –7
Winnemucca 93 52 34 11 41 17 5 –8
Laughlin 112 80 44 27 65 43 18 6
Climate data for Las Vegas (Köppen BWh)[a]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 77
(25)
87
(31)
92
(33)
99
(37)
109
(43)
117
(47)
117
(47)
116
(47)
114
(46)
103
(39)
87
(31)
78
(26)
117
(47)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 68.7
(20.4)
74.2
(23.4)
84.3
(29.1)
93.6
(34.2)
101.8
(38.8)
110.1
(43.4)
112.9
(44.9)
110.3
(43.5)
105.0
(40.6)
94.6
(34.8)
80.5
(26.9)
67.9
(19.9)
113.6
(45.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 58.5
(14.7)
62.9
(17.2)
71.1
(21.7)
78.5
(25.8)
88.5
(31.4)
99.4
(37.4)
104.5
(40.3)
102.8
(39.3)
94.9
(34.9)
81.2
(27.3)
67.1
(19.5)
56.9
(13.8)
80.5
(26.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 49.5
(9.7)
53.5
(11.9)
60.8
(16.0)
67.7
(19.8)
77.3
(25.2)
87.6
(30.9)
93.2
(34.0)
91.7
(33.2)
83.6
(28.7)
70.4
(21.3)
57.2
(14.0)
48.2
(9.0)
70.1
(21.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 40.5
(4.7)
44.1
(6.7)
50.5
(10.3)
56.9
(13.8)
66.1
(18.9)
75.8
(24.3)
82.0
(27.8)
80.6
(27.0)
72.4
(22.4)
59.6
(15.3)
47.3
(8.5)
39.6
(4.2)
59.6
(15.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 29.8
(−1.2)
32.9
(0.5)
38.7
(3.7)
45.2
(7.3)
52.8
(11.6)
62.2
(16.8)
72.9
(22.7)
70.8
(21.6)
60.8
(16.0)
47.4
(8.6)
35.2
(1.8)
29.0
(−1.7)
27.4
(−2.6)
Record low °F (°C) 8
(−13)
16
(−9)
19
(−7)
31
(−1)
38
(3)
48
(9)
56
(13)
54
(12)
43
(6)
26
(−3)
15
(−9)
11
(−12)
8
(−13)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.56
(14)
0.80
(20)
0.42
(11)
0.20
(5.1)
0.07
(1.8)
0.04
(1.0)
0.38
(9.7)
0.32
(8.1)
0.32
(8.1)
0.32
(8.1)
0.30
(7.6)
0.45
(11)
4.18
(106)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.51)
0.2
(0.51)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.1 4.1 2.8 1.6 1.1 0.4 2.5 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.5 3.0 25.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2
Average relative humidity (%) 45.1 39.6 33.1 25.0 21.3 16.5 21.1 25.6 25.0 28.8 37.2 45.0 30.3
Average dew point °F (°C) 22.1
(−5.5)
23.7
(−4.6)
23.9
(−4.5)
24.1
(−4.4)
28.2
(−2.1)
30.9
(−0.6)
40.6
(4.8)
44.1
(6.7)
37.0
(2.8)
30.4
(−0.9)
25.3
(−3.7)
22.3
(−5.4)
29.4
(−1.5)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 245.2 246.7 314.6 346.1 388.1 401.7 390.9 368.5 337.1 304.4 246.0 236.0 3,825.3
Percent possible sunshine 79 81 85 88 89 92 88 88 91 87 80 78 86
Source: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)[5][6][7]
Climate data for Reno (Köppen BSk)[b]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 71
(22)
75
(24)
83
(28)
90
(32)
98
(37)
104
(40)
108
(42)
105
(41)
106
(41)
93
(34)
77
(25)
71
(22)
108
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 61.2
(16.2)
65.3
(18.5)
73.9
(23.3)
80.9
(27.2)
89.4
(31.9)
97.0
(36.1)
102.1
(38.9)
100.0
(37.8)
94.5
(34.7)
85.0
(29.4)
71.5
(21.9)
61.7
(16.5)
102.6
(39.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 47.7
(8.7)
52.1
(11.2)
59.2
(15.1)
64.7
(18.2)
74.1
(23.4)
84.6
(29.2)
93.9
(34.4)
92.1
(33.4)
83.8
(28.8)
70.4
(21.3)
56.7
(13.7)
46.7
(8.2)
68.8
(20.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 36.9
(2.7)
40.6
(4.8)
46.6
(8.1)
51.6
(10.9)
60.3
(15.7)
69.2
(20.7)
77.2
(25.1)
75.1
(23.9)
67.0
(19.4)
55.1
(12.8)
43.8
(6.6)
36.2
(2.3)
55.0
(12.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 26.1
(−3.3)
29.0
(−1.7)
34.0
(1.1)
38.5
(3.6)
46.6
(8.1)
53.8
(12.1)
60.4
(15.8)
58.1
(14.5)
50.3
(10.2)
39.7
(4.3)
31.0
(−0.6)
25.7
(−3.5)
41.1
(5.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 12.2
(−11.0)
16.1
(−8.8)
21.3
(−5.9)
26.2
(−3.2)
34.0
(1.1)
41.0
(5.0)
50.7
(10.4)
48.5
(9.2)
39.0
(3.9)
27.4
(−2.6)
17.4
(−8.1)
11.3
(−11.5)
6.6
(−14.1)
Record low °F (°C) −17
(−27)
−16
(−27)
−3
(−19)
13
(−11)
16
(−9)
25
(−4)
33
(1)
24
(−4)
20
(−7)
8
(−13)
1
(−17)
−16
(−27)
−17
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.25
(32)
1.03
(26)
0.80
(20)
0.44
(11)
0.55
(14)
0.41
(10)
0.20
(5.1)
0.24
(6.1)
0.21
(5.3)
0.50
(13)
0.62
(16)
1.10
(28)
7.35
(187)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.2
(13)
5.2
(13)
2.9
(7.4)
0.4
(1.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
1.8
(4.6)
5.2
(13)
20.9
(53)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.9 7.0 5.5 4.5 4.4 3.1 1.7 1.6 2.0 2.9 4.3 6.6 50.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 3.4 3.3 2.0 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.2 3.0 13.9
Average relative humidity (%) 68.0 60.2 52.7 45.9 43.2 39.9 36.2 39.3 44.0 50.7 61.2 67.6 50.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 195.6 204.2 291.0 332.1 375.8 393.8 424.0 390.8 343.9 295.2 212.0 187.5 3,645.9
Percent possible sunshine 65 68 78 83 84 88 93 92 92 85 70 64 82
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)[8][9][10]
Climate data for Carson City (Köppen BSk) [c]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 72
(22)
76
(24)
81
(27)
88
(31)
94
(34)
101
(38)
107
(42)
105
(41)
103
(39)
93
(34)
79
(26)
75
(24)
107
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 59.3
(15.2)
62.4
(16.9)
70.7
(21.5)
77.9
(25.5)
85.6
(29.8)
93.6
(34.2)
99.0
(37.2)
96.5
(35.8)
91.9
(33.3)
82.7
(28.2)
70.7
(21.5)
60.5
(15.8)
99.0
(37.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 45.5
(7.5)
49.5
(9.7)
56.2
(13.4)
61.7
(16.5)
70.4
(21.3)
80.9
(27.2)
89.5
(31.9)
87.8
(31.0)
80.7
(27.1)
68.0
(20.0)
54.5
(12.5)
44.6
(7.0)
65.8
(18.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 34.8
(1.6)
38.3
(3.5)
43.9
(6.6)
48.8
(9.3)
56.6
(13.7)
65.0
(18.3)
72.1
(22.3)
70.2
(21.2)
63.1
(17.3)
52.2
(11.2)
41.4
(5.2)
34.2
(1.2)
51.7
(10.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 24.1
(−4.4)
27.1
(−2.7)
31.6
(−0.2)
35.8
(2.1)
42.9
(6.1)
49.2
(9.6)
54.8
(12.7)
52.5
(11.4)
45.6
(7.6)
36.3
(2.4)
28.4
(−2.0)
23.9
(−4.5)
37.7
(3.2)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 6.9
(−13.9)
11.7
(−11.3)
17.4
(−8.1)
22.3
(−5.4)
29.7
(−1.3)
35.8
(2.1)
44.4
(6.9)
42.1
(5.6)
34.3
(1.3)
21.8
(−5.7)
11.4
(−11.4)
6.2
(−14.3)
0.6
(−17.4)
Record low °F (°C) −27
(−33)
−22
(−30)
−5
(−21)
3
(−16)
18
(−8)
25
(−4)
33
(1)
26
(−3)
17
(−8)
6
(−14)
−5
(−21)
−26
(−32)
−27
(−33)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.72
(44)
1.48
(38)
1.24
(31)
0.51
(13)
0.51
(13)
0.37
(9.4)
0.18
(4.6)
0.14
(3.6)
0.24
(6.1)
0.55
(14)
0.90
(23)
1.50
(38)
9.34
(237.7)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.6
(9.1)
1.7
(4.3)
1.6
(4.1)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.7
(1.8)
6.4
(16)
14.0
(36)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.2 5.6 4.8 3.2 3.4 1.7 0.9 1.0 1.1 2.4 3.3 4.8 38.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 1.8 1.4 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 1.4 6.3
Source 1: NOAA [11]
Source 2: National Weather Service [12]

Flora and fauna

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The giant hairy scorpion is the largest scorpion in North America and is commonly found in Nevada.

Being the driest U.S. State, and with much of it located within large deserts like the Great Basin Desert and the Mojave Desert,[13] most of Nevada's organisms are adapted to a desert environment.

Even so, the ecosystem of Nevada is diverse and differs by state area. It contains six biotic zones: alpine, sub-alpine, ponderosa pine, pinion-juniper, sagebrush and creosotebush.[14]

It contains 488 species of birds (such as bald eagles and mountain bluebirds),[15] 61 species of mammals (such as desert bighorn sheep and coyotes),[16] 16 species of scorpions,[17] 52 species of reptiles (such as Great Basin rattlesnakes and desert tortoise)[18] and 48 species of fish (such as Lahontan cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish).[19]

Administration

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Counties

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The Las Vegas Strip looking South
 
Carson City Mint in Carson City. Carson City is an independent city and the capital of Nevada.

Nevada is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties. Carson City is officially a consolidated municipality, meaning it legally functions as both a city and a county. As of 1919, there were 17 counties in the state, ranging from 146 to 18,159 square miles (380 to 47,030 km2).

Lake County, one of the original nine counties formed in 1861, was renamed Roop County in 1862. Part of the county became Lassen County, California, in 1864, resolving border uncertainty. In 1883, Washoe County annexed the portion that remained in Nevada.[20]

In 1969, Ormsby County was dissolved and the Consolidated Municipality of Carson City was created by the Legislature in its place coterminous with the old boundaries of Ormsby County.

Bullfrog County was formed in 1987 from part of Nye County. After the creation was declared unconstitutional, the county was abolished in 1989.[20]

Humboldt County was designated as a county in 1856 by Utah Territorial Legislature and again in 1861 by the new Nevada Legislature.

Clark County is the most populous county in Nevada, accounting for nearly three-quarters of its residents. Las Vegas, Nevada's most populous city, has been the county seat since the county was created in 1909 from a portion of Lincoln County, Nevada. Before that, it was a part of Arizona Territory. Clark County attracts numerous tourists: An estimated 44 million people visited Clark County in 2014.[21]

Washoe County is the second-most populous county of Nevada. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.

Lyon County is the third most populous county. It was one of the nine original counties created in 1861. It was named after Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union General to be killed in the Civil War. Its current county seat is Yerington. Its first county seat was established at Dayton on November 29, 1861.[22]

Nevada counties
County name County seat Year founded 2021 population[23] Percent of total Area Percent of total Population density
sq mi km2 per sq mi per km2
Carson City Carson City 1861 58,993 1.88 % 157 410 0.14 % 407.80 157.45
Churchill Fallon 1861 25,723 0.82 % 5,024 13,010 4.54 % 5.22 2.02
Clark Las Vegas 1908 2,292,476 72.92 % 8,061 20,880 7.29 % 290.52 112.17
Douglas Minden 1861 49,870 1.59 % 738 1,910 0.67 % 70.24 27.12
Elko Elko 1869 53,915 1.71 % 17,203 44,560 15.56 % 3.14 1.21
Esmeralda Goldfield 1861 743 0.02 % 3,589 9,300 3.25 % 0.21 0.081
Eureka Eureka 1869 1,903 0.06 % 4,180 10,800 3.78 % 0.46 0.18
Humboldt Winnemucca 1856/1861 17,648 0.56 % 9,658 25,010 8.73 % 1.83 0.71
Lander Battle Mountain 1861 5,734 0.18 % 5,519 14,290 4.99 % 1.04 0.40
Lincoln Pioche 1867 4,525 0.14 % 10,637 27,550 9.62 % 0.43 0.17
Lyon Yerington 1861 60,903 1.94 % 2,024 5,240 1.83 % 30.44 11.75
Mineral Hawthorne 1911 4,586 0.15 % 3,813 9,880 3.45 % 1.22 0.47
Nye Tonopah 1864 53,450 1.70 % 18,199 47,140 16.46 % 2.94 1.14
Pershing Lovelock 1919 6,741 0.21 % 6,067 15,710 5.49 % 1.12 0.43
Storey Virginia City 1861 4,143 0.13 % 264 680 0.24 % 15.75 6.08
Washoe Reno 1861 493,392 15.69 % 6,542 16,940 5.92 % 78.29 30.23
White Pine Ely 1869 9,182 0.29 % 8,897 23,040 8.05 % 1.03 0.40
Totals Counties: 17 3,143,991 110,572 286,380 28.64 11.06

Settlements

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Largest cities or towns in Nevada
Source:[24]
Rank Name County Pop.
 
Las Vegas
 
Henderson
1 Las Vegas Clark 641,903  
Reno
 
North Las Vegas
2 Henderson Clark 317,610
3 Reno Washoe 264,165
4 North Las Vegas Clark 262,527
5 Enterprise Clark 221,831
6 Spring Valley Clark 215,597
7 Sunrise Manor Clark 205,618
8 Paradise Clark 191,238
9 Sparks Washoe 108,445
10 Carson City Carson City 58,639

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C., and Storm Phillips, Stormfax, Inc.
  2. ^ Nevada Archived November 30, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. PeakVisor. Retrieved June 23, 2020
  3. ^ Osborn, Liz. "Driest states". Currentresults.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  4. ^ "Nevada climate averages". Weatherbase. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  5. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  6. ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  7. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for LAS VEGAS/MCCARRAN, NV 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "National Weather Service Climate". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  9. ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  10. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for NV Reno Tahoe INTL AP 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  11. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on September 17, 2022.
  12. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved on September 17, 2022
  13. ^ "Nevada".
  14. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940). Nevada: a guide to the Silver state. US History Publishers. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-60354-027-8.
  15. ^ "Nevada birds".
  16. ^ "Nevada mammals".
  17. ^ "Nevada scorpions".
  18. ^ "Nevada reptiles" (PDF).
  19. ^ "Nevada fish". Archived from the original on 2013-04-11.
  20. ^ a b "Political History of Nevada". Nevada State Library and Archives. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  21. ^ "Visitors". Clarkcountynv.gov. Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  22. ^ Laws of the Territory of Nevada passed at the first regular session of the Legislative Assembly. San Francisco, CA: Valentine & Co. 1862. pp. 289–291. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  23. ^ "Nevada's Census Population By County 2020 and 2021". Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  24. ^ "2020 Nevada QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. August 18, 2021. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  1. ^ 1991-2020 normals. Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  2. ^ Mean maxima and minima (i.e., the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020. Official records for Reno kept January 1893 to 10 November 1905 at "Reno", 11 November 1905 to February 1937 at Reno Weather Bureau Office (CRB), and at Reno–Tahoe International Airport since March 1937. For more information, see Threadex
  3. ^ 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present