Do you need a snowblower in Reno, NV?
What clears snow in Reno
Gas single-stage
Reno gets enough snow that shovelling it all is a real job, about 4.3 tons a winter on this driveway, but storms over 8 inches are uncommon.
Before you buy, check the intake height against the deepest storm above, and plan to clear before the city plow leaves its ridge of heavy slush at the end of the drive.
How much snow Reno gets
- Snow a year
- 33 in
- Storms of 5 in or more
- 1.8 a winter
- Storms of 10 in or more
- about once every 5 winters
- Days with snow on the ground
- 17
Moderate, a typical snowy-city winter. About what a typical snowy US city gets. Most of it melts within a few days, so in Reno waiting a day is often a real option.
On a two car driveway that is about 4.3 tons of snow to move in a season, and a 10 inch storm weighs 2,600 pounds.
When the snow comes in Reno
- Oct0.2
- Nov2.6
- Dec7.2
- Jan6.6
- Feb9.6
- Mar6.1
- Apr0.9
- May0.1
Snow worth clearing runs from November to March, heaviest in February. Start and service a machine in October.
Reno and its neighbours
Reno is number 2 of 10 Nevada towns here for snowfall; Elko gets the most at 41 inches.
| Town | Miles | Snow | Two car, paved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparks, NV | 7 | 7 in | A shovel is enough |
| Truckee, CA | 23 | 207 in | Two-stage snowblower |
| Carson, NV | 28 | 14 in | A shovel is enough |
| Fernley, NV | 35 | 5 in | A shovel is enough |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 43 | 22 in | A shovel is enough |
| Grass Valley, CA | 68 | 9 in | A shovel is enough |
Where these numbers come from
Read next: Snowblowers on a gravel driveway and Single-stage or two-stage.
NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals from Reno 1.4 NNE, 2.0 miles from Reno. A normal winter, not this winter's forecast. Snow is weighed at 6.24 pounds a cubic foot, fresh and fairly dry; wet spring snow can weigh three times that.
- Days with snow on the ground come from a second nearby station, because the closest one does not record snow depth.