Reno usually sees several triple digit days each year, with the first one usually occurring in the middle of July. We already reached 100° at the Reno Airport this year in June, with multiple more chances to reach the century mark this week.
It’s going to be a hot 4th of July with temperatures running a good ten degrees above average. Normal for the beginning of July is the low 90’s. We won’t break records each day this week, but it will certainly be hot. While it will be hot on Thursday and Friday, the current record is 106° and 108°, so the threshold is just really high. It is possible to break records in Reno on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. This will be a long stretch of hot weather. We’ll probably see the average number of triple digit days we see in a year, within a week.
Models are in good agreement that it will be hot over the 4th of July, but some are hotter than others. There is an 80% chance of temperatures surpassing 95° during the later half of this week, with a 60% of reaching the triple digits. Saturday will be the hottest day of the week, with a 30% chance of reaching 105° at the Reno Airport. Keep in mind the airport is the hottest spot in the Reno area, and that’s where the records are kept. Our neighborhood communities will be at least a couple degrees cooler than the airport both during the day and at night. This is because of the heat island effect.
The ice cream forecast calls for two ice cream treats on Monday and Tuesday, three on Wednesday, and four from Thursday through Sunday. Now is the time to check your air conditioning and get a fan if you need to. Heat is not something to take lightly.
Lake Tahoe even has a shot at reaching the upper 80’s and low 90’s next weekend. The forecasted high for the 4th is 88° on Thursday at South Lake. There is a 20% chance of getting over 95° next weekend in Truckee. That will be the hottest day of the week. A heat wave is at least two consecutive days of unusually hot weather.
June 2024 was the hottest June on record when you look at the average temperature, which includes both the high and low temperature. We've had years with more triple digits though. Remember June of 2021? That year we made it up 100° four times before July even started. Twenty two is the most triple digits days on record in Reno for the year. A record that was set back in 2022 and 2021. Let’s hope this year is not repeat of numerous triple digit days.
