By Carly Sauvageau, Reno Gazette Journal
Reno may be on the verge of breaking a weather record.
Despite several early-season storms, the Biggest Little City still hasn’t reached 32 degrees this fall, and the National Weather Service now says the first freeze may not arrive until early next week.
If Reno stays above freezing through Sunday, Nov. 16, the city will break its record for the latest first freeze, set on Nov. 16, 2016, according to NWS Reno. Any freeze that arrives early next week — likely on Nov. 18 — would set the new mark.
Weather Service records since 1980 show Reno’s median first freeze falls on Oct. 15. In the past decade, it has ranged from Oct. 10 (2019) to Nov. 16 (2016).
A recent Climate Central analysis shows Reno has seen the most delayed freeze in the country, with the first freeze now arriving 41 days later than it did in the 1970s.
Here’s a closer look at when Reno‘s freeze is expected to arrive and how a later freeze affects fall life in Northern Nevada.
When will it freeze in Reno?
The first possible freeze window arrives late Monday night into early Tuesday, when temperatures are forecast to dip to 31 degrees. That would put the first freeze on Nov. 18 — breaking the current record for the latest first freeze, set on Nov. 16, 2016.
First freeze dates for the last decade in Reno:
- 2015: Nov. 4
- 2016: Nov. 16
- 2017: Oct. 12
- 2018: Oct. 15
- 2019: Oct. 10
- 2020: Oct. 25
- 2021: Oct. 12
- 2022: Oct. 23
- 2023: Oct. 27
- 2024: Oct. 18
Are there bears in Reno?
Yes, and bears are more active in Reno when the first freeze arrives later. A recent study that involved research from professors at the University of Nevada, Reno found a correlation between late frosts and an increase in conflict calls involving bears.
A delayed frost often means less snowpack in Northern Nevada, which reduces natural food sources in the mountains. That scarcity drives bears toward lower elevations and into urban areas in search of food.
“The wildland bears that never come in, well, they’ve got babies to feed and, you know, trying to get ready for winter,” said Kelley Stewart, a professor of wildlife ecology at UNR. “And that’s when we start seeing those animals. So we kind of know something different going on is when we see ones that tend to stay up in the high country.”
Ashley Zeme, a spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, confirmed that later frosts “can definitely lead to an increase in bear activity.”
“The later frosts wipe out developing buds and fruits that bears feed off in the spring and summer, driving them into lower elevations to search for food, where they end up coming across easy human-food sources in our neighborhoods,” Zeme said.
NDOW said people can prepare for increased bear activity by securing garbage, installing electric fencing, cleaning up fruit trees, removing bird feeders and pet food from outside and cleaning grills and smokers.
How is climate change affecting Nevada?
Reno has seen the most delayed freeze in the country, with that first dip below 32 degrees happening 41 days later than it did in the 1970s, according to Climate Central.
And it’s not just bears that are affected by a later frost. Climate Central said fall leaves are more muted when nights stay warm, and mosquitoes, the world’s most dangerous animal, tend to linger longer into the year when temperatures remain higher. Fall allergies stretch deeper into the season, and certain crops are threatened when frosts are delayed, the study said.
Reno weather forecast Nov. 13-19
Reno isn’t expected to freeze this weekend; the first possible freeze is Monday night into Tuesday. Here’s a closer look at the forecast for this week.
- Thursday, Nov. 13: 30% chance of rain after 4 p.m., mostly cloudy, high 65 with winds 15–20 mph and gusts to 30 mph; rain likely after 1 a.m., low 41.
- Friday, Nov. 14: 30% chance of rain, partly sunny, high 59; mostly cloudy overnight, low 40.
- Saturday, Nov. 15: 20% chance of rain after 10 a.m., partly sunny, high 60; 40% chance of rain overnight, low 40.
- Sunday, Nov. 16: 40% chance of rain, mostly cloudy, high 54; chance of rain overnight with snow level 7,100 ft lowering to 6,500 ft, low 36.
- Monday, Nov. 17: Chance of rain and snow, high 49; slight chance of rain and snow overnight with snow level near 5,400 ft, overnight low 31 — first possible freeze.
- Tuesday, Nov. 18: Partly sunny, high 47; partly cloudy overnight, low 29.
- Wednesday, Nov. 19: Slight chance of rain and snow with snow level 5,100 ft rising to 6,000 ft, mostly sunny, high 51.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
