Moving weather calendar: Reno by month

The table above gives NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for the Reno-Tahoe airport, month by month. The notes below translate each number into what it feels like on a loading dock.

• Reno average July high94 F
• Reno snow in a normal year20.9 in

Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020.

Winter: November to March

From December to February the average high is 47 to 52 F, the average low is 26 to 29 F, and snow adds up to 5.2 inches in each of December, January and February. Nights at or below freezing number about 26.6 in December and 25.7 in January, so ice on driveways and truck ramps is a normal morning condition rather than an exception. March is a transition: average high 59 F, 15.1 freezing nights and 2.9 inches of snow.

Daylight is the other winter limit. Around December 21 the sun rises at about 7:16 and sets at about 4:38 in the afternoon, roughly 9.4 hours of light, from NOAA's solar equations at the warehouse's coordinates (approximate). A large move that starts at 8 am has about eight and a half hours of usable daylight.

Spring and fall: April, May, October

April brings a 65 F average high and a 38 F low, with 0.4 inches of snow and 7.4 freezing nights, and May is mild at 74 F and 47 F with only 0.7 freezing nights. October mirrors spring: 70 F high, 40 F low, 5.4 freezing nights and almost no snow at 0.1 inches. These are the months with the least weather risk; the timing guide covers choosing a month.

Summer: June to September

June averages 85 F and 54 F. July is the hottest month at 94 F, with an average of 23.9 days at 90 F or higher, and August follows at 92 F and 21.8 hot days. September cools to 84 F with 7.5 hot days. Rain is rare: July averages 0.20 inches and August 0.24. A summer move is about heat, not wet, and heat-sensitive items such as candles, vinyl records and electronics need attention.

Wildfire smoke is a separate summer risk with no figures in this table; see wildfire smoke season.

The same calendar in other places

The Reno airport is the low-snow end of the region. NOAA's annual snow normals are 9.6 inches in Sparks, 14.0 in Carson City, 21.8 in Minden, 41.2 at Elko Regional Airport, 179.0 in Tahoe City and 206.6 at the Truckee Ranger Station, and only 4.5 at the Fallon Experiment Station. Annual precipitation shows the same split, at 7.35 inches in Reno and 30.57 inches in Truckee. A January move in the Tahoe basin is a different job from the same date in Fernley or Fallon.

January highs by station show the cold: 37.9 F in Elko, 41.8 F in Truckee, 42.4 F in Sparks and 47.7 F at the Reno airport. Check roads on the passes page if your route climbs.

What the table cannot tell you

Normals are 30-year averages. Any single day can be 20 degrees off, and a snowstorm can fall in April or October. The table is for choosing a month, not for forecasting a date. Check the forecast a few days ahead, and watch road conditions on moving day. See winter driving and chain control.