Nevada Climate
Top 5 Cities: Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, North Las Vegas, and Sparks
This month in numbers
Nevada experienced its warmest March on record, with an average temperature of 11.33°C, an anomaly of +7.2°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This marks the 1st warmest March in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures also hit an all-time high for March, reaching 19.56°C, an anomaly of +8.8°C. Looking at the broader picture, the January–March 2026 period was also the warmest on record for Nevada, with an average temperature of 6.18°C, an anomaly of +4.5°C.
What changed
Nevada's exceptionally warm start to the year stands out, with both the latest month and the three-month period ranking as the warmest on record. This trend is significantly warmer than the national average for the US, which also experienced above-average temperatures but not to the same extreme. Nevada's March anomaly of +7.18°C placed it as the 4th warmest of 234 regions globally for the month, and 9th warmest for the three-month anomaly. The entire US West climate region, to which Nevada belongs, also saw a significantly warmer-than-average March, with Nevada being slightly warmer than the group average.
What’s driving change?
The record-breaking warmth in Nevada has been driven by persistent , which trapped hot air over the region for extended periods in March. This led to temperatures running 11 to 17°C (20 to 30°F) above average in parts of Nevada, California, and Arizona, with some areas experiencing temperatures more typical of summer than mid-March. This early-season heatwave shattered numerous daily and monthly temperature records across the state. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a strong probability of transitioning to El Niño in the coming months, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Nevada. The unusually warm and dry conditions have exacerbated drought concerns, with two drought events active in the past month, representing 100% of the annual total for Nevada, an unusual concentration for the season. This has also led to an unusually early snowmelt and low snowpack, raising concerns for an early and potentially severe wildfire season. More information on extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a high probability of El Niño developing and persisting through the summer and into early autumn, which could bring continued warmer and drier conditions to Nevada in the coming months.
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.