Nevada Climate
Top 5 Cities: Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, North Las Vegas, and Sparks
This month in numbers
Nevada experienced its warmest February–April on record, with an average temperature of 8.37°C, an anomaly of +3.8°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marked the warmest February–April on record for maximum temperatures, reaching 15.93°C, an anomaly of +4.7°C. April 2026 itself was notably warmer than average, with temperatures 1.2°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with the February–April period also ranking as the 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
This exceptionally warm three-month period for Nevada stands in stark contrast to the national picture, where the US as a whole experienced a milder but less extreme warming trend. Nevada's 3-month anomaly of +3.84°C places it 19th out of 234 regions globally for this period, with a striking concentration of US states in the top 10 warmest. The state also sits at 17th globally for the 12-month rolling anomaly, indicating a persistent warming trend. Nevada's 2025 average temperature of 11.81°C was the warmest on record, continuing a long-term trend of +1.23°C above the 1961–1990 baseline.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming observed in Nevada, particularly the record-breaking March temperatures, was driven by , with an intense early-season heatwave between March 18 and 22, 2026, pushing temperatures 11-17°C (20-30°F) above average across parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona. This persistent high-pressure system suppressed cloud formation and enhanced solar heating. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but the NOAA CPC forecast indicates a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May-Jul and a 98% chance for Aug-Oct. El Niño typically brings wetter conditions to the Southwest USA during winter, which can help replenish reservoirs and snowpack. However, Nevada is currently experiencing widespread drought conditions, with approximately 76% of the state under active drought as of May 12, 2026, and an additional 24% classified as Abnormally Dry. This includes areas of severe, extreme, and even exceptional drought. This dry soil amplification contributes to warmer temperatures. Nevada has also seen an unusual concentration of extreme weather events recently, with three wildfires, two drought events, and one flood event occurring within the last month, representing 100% of the annual total for each type of event. Officials are bracing for an above-average wildfire season in 2026, citing meager snowpack and drought conditions as contributing factors. You can track these events and more at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC 3-month outlook for May-July 2026 suggests a 60-70% chance for above-normal temperatures across northern Nevada and a 50-60% chance for southern and central Nevada, with an equal chance for above or below normal precipitation for most of southern and central Nevada.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Nevada
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Nevada changing?
Nevada is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Nevada come from?
Climate data for Nevada comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Nevada climate data cover?
The Nevada climate profile covers Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, North Las Vegas and surrounding areas. Nevada climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Nevada climate update refreshed?
The Nevada climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.