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The climate of northwestern Nevada is generally very different from the native climates of the introduced woody plants. This page is a series of tables with explanations detailing some of the differences.
Topics on this page:
Comparison of climates in Philadelphia (east) and
Reno (west)
Part of the table on the first page comparing conditions in the eastern U.S. woods and northwestern Nevada relates to climate. Here is a summary of that part:
Condition
eastern U.S. woods
northwestern Nevada
Humidity
High
Low
Sun/Shade
Shady
Sunny
Precipitation
Plenty
Little
Wind
Usually calm
Frequently windy
This page compares these climate parameters and others. Let's start with east versus west. Philadelphia, PA is at nearly the same latitude as Reno, NV, and is in the same USDA zone. But how do the two cities compare in climate patterns?
First, the similarities. both have similar winter low temperatures and similar snowfall.
There are significant differences which impact plant growth. Although Reno is hotter in the summer, it is much drier overall and has much lower humidity. It also has more sunshine and a shorter growing season (i.e. fewer days between the last frost in Spring and the first in Fall).
Comparison of Climates in different parts of Nevada
Even within Nevada there are great differences in climate, as this table comparing Elko, Las Vegas and Reno shows.
Northeastern and northwestern Nevada are similar in many parameters. Notable among the differences are winter low temperatures, length of growing season, USDA zone (it is colder in Elko and many plants which grow in northwestern Nevada can't tolerate the cold of northeastern Nevada), clear versus cloudy days, and direction of wind (the wind in Reno comes from the Pacific Ocean and the wind in Elko comes across the hot, dry high desert of Nevada).
There are great differences between the climates of northern Nevada and southern Nevada, as the table shows. The combination of Las Vegas' hotter temperatures during the growing (frost-free) season, longer growing season, lower humidity and lower precipitation mean that plants evapotranspire (or lose water) much more than in Reno. This water must be replaced by irrigation water (more on that on the page on supplemental watering). Also, the variety of plants able to survive in that harsh climate is much lower than in northwestern Nevada.
Comparison of Climates in northwestern Nevada
Within northwestern Nevada there is a more uniform climate, as this table of climates in northwestern Nevada shows. However, there are differences within the area which may affect woody plant growth.
Microclimates in northwestern Nevada