September can be a great time of the year for our area. It’s especially nice if you like temperatures in the 80’s and slightly cooler mornings. Granted, each year can vary. We saw light snow in Reno last September, but this year has turned out to be warmer and drier. Fall is a transition month. Which means it is normal to go from one extreme to another this time of year. The snow last year was not very much and was reported as a trace at the airport. It has to be .01” or more to be counted as measurable. The hills did get a little bit more. Snow also has a harder time sticking when the ground is warm. Temperatures are currently running about five to ten degrees above normal.
"We started out with a marginal snow pack so that's what started our road into a drought. Our snow conditions this year were well below average,” said hydrologist Tim Bardsley.
Most of the valley is in a severe drought. Conditions are worse closer to the Utah border. We normally get 7.27 inches of precipitation a year at the Reno Airport, but this year we’ve only received 3.94 inches. This year will go down as one of the driest Septembers on record in Reno. It's been dry so far, and this has happened only several other times since 1900. Fire danger is the main concern right now. The Tahoe Basin is still about 150 percent of normal.
"Right now we're still in pretty good shape in terms of storage and water supply. Especially when you look at municipal water supply, but we are starting to see impacts to rangeland and agricultural areas,” said Bardsley.
While it might feel nice to see the sun now, a good snow season this coming winter would be ideal. If not, Bardsley says Reno’s water supply might be alright still, but it would further the drought situation. Fingers crossed we can have a good snow season this year. The most snow we’ve ever had in Reno during the month of September is 1.5 inches. We’ve had a trace at the airport nine times since 1900.
