Areas covered with snow during the winter, when does snow melt?

[212david51]

Usually we get snow in Reno in the 1-2 inch range and it melts in a week. The recent storm in mid Dec 09, was the biggest storm in 3 years. The snow from that is still hanging around at Christmas due to colder than usual temperatures. If planning on moving to Reno I would recommend a high clearance 4x4. My daughter has a RAV4. My wife drives a ML320. I have a F250 Super Duty. We have snow/off road tires on all of them. I would not recommend a Subaru due to the low ground clearance and I am not much impressed with their all wheel drive system. Had one, sold it.

[Clarks]

Yep, you need all that, about 5 days a year.

I commuted from Truckee for over 20 years, in high clearance 4x4 rigs, I'd turn the 4x4 off about Boomtown, and not reengage it until my drive home, except, perhaps 4 or 5 times in 20 years.

and...

Subarus have proven themselves to be great snow cars, a bit short on ground clearance, but, I have high centered a full size 4x4 pickup on streets in Truckee, nothing is perfect all the time.

How you drive is more important than what you drive.

That said, get studs, Reno streets are icier more often than snow filled, 4x4 without studs isn't much better than 2x4 without studs on ice (I think of all the 4x4's yes even F250's, interestingly, especially F series Fords stuck deep into snow banks (nothing to do with the truck, just the driver)) as the driver was convinced his 4x4 gave him the ability to........ stop.

Stopping is a good thing, get studs.

[boodabehr]

Hi all, I am a Seattlite looking to retire in a not too hot (80) not too cold (29 or so) area in which to retire. Most importantly is too get away from the daily overcast here. I am a gardener landscaper by trade and hobby, so growing seasons are important. I liked San Diego's weather, but do not wish to live in California any longer, and cost of living is a factor. Reno area I know is high desert, and I am guessing mostly sunny, are there micro-climates around that might be warmer "poclet's" in which to live? All in all, I would still need to be near a major hospital. Any suggestions?? Thank-you, and happy new year!

[schizrade]

mod cut: It is winter in the high desert, and it is a cold winter, so expect it to stay like this until April.

[schizrade]

Originally Posted by boodabehr

Hi all, I am a Seattlite looking to retire in a not too hot (80) not too cold (29 or so) area in which to retire. Most importantly is too get away from the daily overcast here. I am a gardener landscaper by trade and hobby, so growing seasons are important. I liked San Diego's weather, but do not wish to live in California any longer, and cost of living is a factor. Reno area I know is high desert, and I am guessing mostly sunny, are there micro-climates around that might be warmer "poclet's" in which to live? All in all, I would still need to be near a major hospital. Any suggestions?? Thank-you, and happy new year!

FYI, winters up north can be brutally cold. You may want to look to Vegas.

[rdane1010]

Originally Posted by schizrade

I think you should just move back over the hill and forget Nevada exists. It is winter in the high desert, and it is a cold winter, so expect it to stay like this until April.

mod cut; Areas in the California side (yeah the hippy, liberal, laddy da side that some people here love to deride) actually have much more severe and colder weather than Reno does and I have been up there plenty during the winter (just compare the weather each day in Truckee to Reno), I was simply asking because obviously Reno is on the edge between two climactic zones and is miilder than the high Sierras so I was curious about this.

I asked when the snow melts specifically because I wanted to know about when I can go mountain biking, you can hardly do that in California this time of year either because it is soggy from all the rain. I didn't complain about the cold or anything like that, other than asking about footwear because I had been slipping while walking.

Anyways, now that I live here I have realized that for the most part the snow seems to melt fairly soon after it falls, at least so far, and to answer someone's question about warmer areas, I have noticed that some areas are a little warmer mainly based on how sheltered they are from the wind drafts coming from the mountains, so if you are, for example, up on McCarren in the northwest part of the city it can feel colder than when you go down into the lower neighborhoods, but its not enough to make a huge difference.