Nevada winter storms
Every recorded winter storm record since 1996 · 17 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 2,084 winter storm records in Nevada from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 70 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 22, 2009 winter weather in Elko County: 2 deaths. Nevada ranks 40th of 51 states and territories by count and 46th of 50 per square mile.
Winter storms in Nevada, 1996 to 2026
Winter storm records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 2,0841996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 70average
- Deaths
- 1348 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $16Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2023236 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are winter storm records common in Nevada?
Nevada averages about 70 winter storm records a year since 2000, 40th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2023 (236). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Nevada records 190 winter storm records since 1996, 46th of 50 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Nevada have the most winter storm records?
Per square mile, Carson City (city) leads Nevada: 372 days with a winter storm record since 1996, 2573.8 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Washoe County has the most winter storm records (661 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is winter storm season in Nevada?
42% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The busiest month is January (445 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 445 · Feb 408 · Mar 338 · Apr 164 · May 43 · Jun 6 · Jul 0 · Aug 0 · Sep 4 · Oct 51 · Nov 194 · Dec 431 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest winter storm records in Nevada?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-01-22 | Winter WeatherElko County · forecast zone Sw & Sc Elko Law enforcement reported numerous traffic accidents due to ice covered roads from light freezing rain. One of the accidents near mile marker 338 (west of Wells) resulted in 2 fatalities from an overturned vehicle. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-03-07 | Winter StormChurchill County and 3 more · forecast zone Pershing/Churchill/X Se Washoe/Nc&Ne Lyon NHP reported a multi vehicle accident resulting in two deaths. Between 4:30 and 5:00 pm, a snowstorm hit the Fernley area reducing visibility to 1/4 mile. One semi lost control and spun out on I-80 about 6 miles east of Fernley, blocking the lanes and causing other vehicles to stop. Two sedans, a pickup, and another ... | 2 | 0 | $246K | |
| 1998-12-19 | Winter StormDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area Snowfall combined with bitterly cold temperatures in Western Nevada, caused icy roadways that produced numerous automobile accidents. As many as 80-90 accidents were reported just in the Reno-Sparks urban area. A multiple car accident on Interstate 80, approximately 10 miles east of Reno resulted in one fatality and ... | 1 | 10 | $272K | |
| 2006-01-01 | Winter StormEsmeralda County and Nye County · forecast zone Esmeralda/Central Nye Dyer received 8 inches of snow. During the early morning hours of January 3rd, icy roads contributed to three separate car crashes on Highways 95 and 6 in Esmeralda County, resulting in one fatality (indirect) and six injuries. | 1 | 6 | – | |
| 2007-01-04 | Ice StormDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that in a 24-hour period from about 5 p.m. Thursday [Jan. 4th], when heavy snow began falling, until Friday, Reno police said 95 accidents were reported. In a rollover automobile accident a University of Nevada-Reno journalism professor was killed. Also, a five-car crash on U.S. ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2023-01-17 | Winter WeatherWhite Pine County · forecast zone White Pine Snow and wind produced adverse driving conditions along US-93 near the town of Ely, reducing visibility to 3/4 of a mile in the area. This led to a fatal crash due to adverse driving conditions. A passenger was also seriously injured when the Ford F-350 Pickup truck went off the road and overturned. A Winter Weather ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2010-04-02 | Winter WeatherElko County · forecast zone Sw & Sc Elko Two to three inches of snow fell across the area resulting in snow covered and icy roads. This resulted in a fatal accident on Interstate 80 about 27 miles west of West Wendover around 7 am on April 3rd. The driver of a pickup truck lost control of his vehicle and it went off the road and overturned several times. ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-12-21 | Ice StormChurchill County and 3 more · forecast zone Western Nevada Basin And Range Icy conditions along Interstate 80 in Churchill County contributed to numerous traffic accidents. A woman was killed in an accident when her automobile hit a slick section of I-80. Her car went off the road and overturned approximately 17 miles east of Fernley just inside the Churchill County line. | 1 | 0 | $7K | |
| 2005-01-25 | Ice StormDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area Due to a strong inversion across the eastern Sierra and western Nevada, freezing rain fell on the morning of January 25th. Automobile accidents were reported along U.S.Hwy. 50 in Lyon County, Nevada. A newspaper report by the Associated Press stated that one person was killed "in a single-vehicle rollover accident ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-01-28 | Winter WeatherFernley, Lyon County Newspaper report of a 33 year old woman killed in a single-vehicle rollover accident. NHP reported she was travelling on US Highway 50 in a 1972 pickup. She was wearing her seatbelt and traveling at approximately 50-60 mph in a 65 mph zone. They believe she hit some ice and lost control of the vehicle. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest winter storm records in Nevada
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-10 | Winter StormDouglas County and 3 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $8.1M | |
| 2022-12-30 | Winter StormLyon County and Mineral County · forecast zone Mineral/Southern Lyon | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2008-12-17 | Heavy SnowClark County · forecast zone Las Vegas Valley | 0 | 0 | $685K | |
| 2010-12-19 | Heavy SnowClark County and Nye County · forecast zone Spring Mountains | 0 | 0 | $677K | |
| 2011-02-25 | Winter StormDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area | 0 | 2 | $328K | |
| 1998-12-19 | Winter StormDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area | 1 | 10 | $272K | |
| 2002-03-07 | Winter StormChurchill County and 3 more · forecast zone Pershing/Churchill/X Se Washoe/Nc&Ne Lyon | 2 | 0 | $246K | |
| 2006-12-27 | Heavy SnowDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 2 | $22K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are winter storm records becoming more frequent in Nevada?
Nevada's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Nevada | United States | Nevada's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 242 | 32,893 | 0.7% |
| 2000s | 564 | 88,805 | 0.6% |
| 2010s | 531 | 103,626 | 0.5% |
| 2020-26 | 747 | 62,015 | 1.2% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent winter storm records in Nevada
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | Winter WeatherDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | Heavy SnowDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Winter WeatherDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Heavy SnowDouglas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Lake Tahoe Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | Heavy SnowDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Heavy SnowClark County and Nye County · forecast zone Spring Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Winter WeatherLyon County and Mineral County · forecast zone Mineral/Southern Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Winter StormChurchill County and 3 more · forecast zone Western Nevada Basin And Range | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Heavy SnowElko County and White Pine County · forecast zone Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Heavy SnowElko County and White Pine County · forecast zone Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Heavy SnowElko County and White Pine County · forecast zone Ruby Mountains/E Humboldt Range | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for winter storm records in Nevada
FEMA has declared 6 disasters in Nevada for winter storm, counting its incident type and declarations that name snow or winter storm or ice storm or blizzard in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 4 were major disasters, the latest on April 27, 2023.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-27 | DR-4708 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 6 |
| 2017-03-27 | DR-4307 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 7 |
| 2017-02-17 | DR-4303 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 8 |
| 2008-01-08 | DR-1738 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2005-02-23 | EM-3204 | Snow | 16 |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3202 | Record and/Or Near Record Snow | 15 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Carson City (city): the county's whole recordThe Nevada county with the most winter storm records per square mile
- Winter storms across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in NevadaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- High wind and dust storms in Nevada3,232 records
- Severe thunderstorm wind in Nevada1,061 records
- Floods in Nevada918 records