Nevada ยท season guide
Sledding season in Reno
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Reno Airport weather station, about 4 miles from the middle of our Reno hill list show November as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (1.8 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
December is the snowiest month on average, at 5.2 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 20.9 inches of snow. That puts Reno at 90 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Expect a short window. About 14 days a year have an inch or more of snow on the ground, so the morning after a storm counts.
For comparison, Salt Lake City, the nearest metro on our list, averages 51.9 inches, more than here.
2 of the 3 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page.
Month by month
| Month | Average snowfall | Days with 1 inch or more of new snow | Days with 1 inch or more on the ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 0.1 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.8 inches | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| December | 5.2 inches | 1.2 | 4.0 |
| January | 5.2 inches | 1.6 | 5.5 |
| February | 5.2 inches | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| March | 2.9 inches | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| April | 0.4 inches | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00023185. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Reno mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
We didn't find a city-wide sledding rule for Reno in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Reno?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Reno Airport station, November is the first month averaging an inch of snow or more. The normals are monthly averages, not a date.
How much snow does Reno get in a year?
About 20.9 inches a year at the Reno Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Reno?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated