How do the Winters in the North Valleys of Reno compare to Sparks and the Reno valley floor? (Spanish Springs: how much)

[Tristanator]

Im moving up to Lemmon Valley at exactly 5000 feet, just a few miles due east of Peavine Mountain and near 395. I am very familiar with Reno/Sparks City snowfall on the valley floor in the winter and how it is nothing compared to the west foothills like Verdi, Mogul and up in NW Reno but I cant find much written about the North Valleys... Its still 600 feet higher than sparks but does it get walloped in comparison? Are the upper north valleys considered "the foothills" too? Or does the rainshadow make North Valley snowfall increases generally negligent? I just wanna know. Im studying climate and meteorology.

[braindead0]

I'd like to know also. From what I can tell based on NOAA information from the station RENO CANNO INTL AP, they don't even record snow depth. Median annual snowfall 10.9 inches there....

Would be interesting to see what kinda 'sub climates' are in the area. Out where I'm at (Ohio) we have the snowbelt... which gets considerable more snow than the median 38.28" I get in Canton.

[tanmctee]

Originally Posted by Tristanator

Im moving up to Lemmon Valley at exactly 5000 feet, just a few miles due east of Peavine Mountain and near 395. I am very familiar with Reno/Sparks City snowfall on the valley floor in the winter and how it is nothing compared to the west foothills like Verdi, Mogul and up in NW Reno but I cant find much written about the North Valleys... Its still 600 feet higher than sparks but does it get walloped in comparison? Are the upper north valleys considered "the foothills" too? Or does the rainshadow make North Valley snowfall increases generally negligent? I just wanna know. Im studying climate and meteorology.

They definitely get more snow and temperatures tend to be colder so the snow stays on the ground longer ---but, the snow is still limited as opposed to the higher elevation toward Tahoe.

While it is nothing like those higher elevations, it can be completely dry in Reno and a blizzard in the North Valley area. I cannot give you much from a technical stand point...simply observation.

[Tristanator]

Originally Posted by braindead0

I'd like to know also. From what I can tell based on NOAA information from the station RENO CANNO INTL AP, they don't even record snow depth. Median annual snowfall 10.9 inches there....

Would be interesting to see what kinda 'sub climates' are in the area. Out where I'm at (Ohio) we have the snowbelt... which gets considerable more snow than the median 38.28" I get in Canton.

Yeah The great lakes area (is that where canton is near?) has durastic changes in annual snowfall over distances of just a few miles. Lower Ohio snowfall is comparatively a joke. Reno area is the same. Even more interesting is Reno, Carson, and Washoe Valley area all get lake effect snowfall, sometimes measured in feet but its not nearly as common as out east or at Salt Lake City. I dont deal with Median snowfall i usually only see averages in climate data, and I can assure you that City-Data is way off in their assessment of snowfall in most places... you have to go to NOAA for that. Reno's Average annual snowfall is about 23 inches but you have to remember that the airport is actually the LEAST snowy place in the entire reno area, with the exception of perhaps the small towns in the desert like Fernley which are lower in elevation. Just about anywhere away from the airport in town gets more snow than Cannon Apt, and places like Verdi, Somersett and other Reno neighborhoods easily see an average of 50-60 inches a year. Even at the airport however, anyone who tells you that winters in Philly or more rediculously, St Louis are heavier are totally lying Philly and St Louis average annual snowfalls about the same as Reno Cannon apt but nowhere near as much snow as the foothills or Carson where 2/5 of the population lives. In addition, Reno area winters are erratic and snow regularly falls as early as October and as late as May, though most people forget this happens alot and freak out when it does happen. This past year it snowed flurries through the first week of june. You never see that out east. But Reno Tahoe winters in of themselves totally kick butt against lower midwest winters or southern new england winters, which are short and tend to exist in once or twice per year "blizzards", in contrast Reno gets frequent and numerous smaller storms 5-6 months out of the year, with nice days in between but i have seen it get to -20 degrees a few times at the airport in Reno, December 2009 being one of those times. Zero degree temps happen yearly. As far as Lemmon Valley where I'm headed... Im expecting about 35-40 inches of snow average annually at 5000 feet there. Its at the same elevation as the Verdi Area which gets pummeled (60 in/ year?) but I doubt nearly as much because north valleys are further from the Sierra Crest

[Tristanator]

Originally Posted by braindead0

I'd like to know also. From what I can tell based on NOAA information from the station RENO CANNO INTL AP, they don't even record snow depth. Median annual snowfall 10.9 inches there....

Would be interesting to see what kinda 'sub climates' are in the area. Out where I'm at (Ohio) we have the snowbelt... which gets considerable more snow than the median 38.28" I get in Canton.

To better judge how much snow you can expect, just figure two factors: the elevation of the location and where the location lies as far as distance from the Sierra Crest to the west. Washoe Valley gets rediculously high avg annual snowfall, some 50 inches annually or even 60 against the western foothills because even though it is modestly at 5000 feet, its also just due east of the relatively low-crested and less rainshadowing part of the Carson Range, and Lake Tahoe provides Washoe Valley with the heaviest lake effect. Next is Carson... It too sees occasional lake effect being east of Tahoe but the rainshadow is slightly stronger than Washoe but slightly less strong than Reno. The lowest parts of carson valley at 4650 and furthest from the western foothills see the least amount of snow but still a little more than the Reno/sparks Valley which is at 4400. Western Carson and Western Reno foothills between 4800 and 5400 feet get hammered with 35-60 inches annually.

Now for the east side of the Metro Area lie the The pine nut, virginia and spanish springs mountains and foothills EAST of carson/reno also see somewhat more snow, but the increase is not nearly as dramatic as it is going up the western foothills because those mountains east of the city are already deep within the rainshadow protection of the Sierra and FINALLY the eastern foothills get some warm air from the urban heat island affect of the city so when it comes to the eastern foothills in Spanish Springs, Sparks, and Carson, you have to go well above 5000 feet before you'll notice any real increase in snow. Virginia City is a good example... its in the Virginia Range southeast of Reno and its at 6300 feet however it only sees about 50-something inches of snow per year on average. Such an elevation West of the metro area would see at least twice that. You might think im weird for asking about Lemmon Valley since I know this much, but I wanted to hear from people who have lived up there especially since although it is at 5000 feet, its not exactly deep within the rainshadow, nor is it snug up against the east slopes of the Wetter, Alpine Carson or Sierra range like washoe valley is. Lake Effect snow is very rare in the North Valleys because the North Valleys are too far from Tahoe or Pyramid Lake to get it so these relatively neutral indicators for the North Valleys why I would love to hear from a long time Local from there

Of course, since the West is so sunny, your position on a slope facing the north, east, west or south will greatly affect how quickly snow sticks or melts when it does fall. Shading from buildings and trees will affect that too!

[nevadamamabear1972]

Originally Posted by Tristanator

Im moving up to Lemmon Valley at exactly 5000 feet

My family and I lived in Lemmon Valley (and a couple miles further north in Cold Springs) for 10 years.

The valleys are definetely WAY MORE snowy than the the valley floor (in town) During winter it wasn't abnormal to head from town and once you hit Sted (town before L.V.) you'd be in a snow globe of flurry.
The snow fall is also heavier, it wasn't unusual to have 5-9 inches on the ground for weeks at a time. The nice part is the highways are usually plowed or it melts so getting around isn't that difficult. Now the housing developments in L.V. are a whole other story, they DON'T plow the streets unless it's a main thouroughfare to the freeway.
I have to say my years living in the North Valleys were very pleasant in the summers, as it always seems to be at least 10 degrees cooler out that way. And the commute to town isn't bad either, it's a direct shot on hwy 395 to town. My hubby worked at the airport and it only took him 15-20 mins to get to/from work.

Now, if you don't want to deal with much snow I'd recommend East Sparks. We've been here for 5 years and the weather is dramitically different compared to our north valley days. We moved here because we have family in East Sparks and when we'd visit in the winter it would be bone dry there but a blizzard in the n. valleys. I'm not saying we don't get snow here in E. Sparks, we do, but NOTHING compared to Lemmon Valley. Weird because it's only a 20-25 min drive but a world of difference weather wise.

Good luck on your decision

[mcpugh]

With the exception of this year (for some odd reason) if you like snow and don't mind driving in it, the valleys north of Reno would be okay for you.