Climate and average weather in Carson City
In Carson City, the summers are hot, dry, and clear and the winters are cold, snowy, and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Carson City typically varies from 25°F to 84°F, and is rarely below 15°F or above 92°F. July is the hottest month of the year, while December is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Carson City for warm-weather activities are from late May to mid July and mid August to mid October.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 84°
- Coldest
- Dec
- 25°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 3.2 in
- Driest
- Jul
- 0.3 in
- Rain / yr
- 18.6 in
- 69 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.2–14.8 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 4,682 ft
- 39.2°N
- Clearest
- Aug
- 21% cloud
Carson City is independent city in and capital of the U.S. state of Nevada.
- Density
- 144/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1858
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Carson City weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid August to mid October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Carson City, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.3 months, from June 13 to September 21, with daily high temperatures above 74°F. The hottest month of the year in Carson City is July, with an average high of 84°F and low of 56°F.
The cool season lasts 3.7 months, from November 20 to March 11, with daily high temperatures below 48°F. The coldest month of the year in Carson City is December, with an average low of 25°F and high of 39°F.
Days typically run about 21°F warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 28°F) in July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 40 | 42 | 48 | 54 | 64 | 75 | 84 | 83 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 39 |
| Avg low (°F) | 26 | 27 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 49 | 56 | 57 | 52 | 42 | 32 | 25 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 26 |
| Feb | 42 | 27 |
| Mar | 48 | 30 |
| Apr | 54 | 34 |
| May | 64 | 41 |
| Jun | 75 | 49 |
| Jul | 84 | 56 |
| Aug | 83 | 57 |
| Sep | 76 | 52 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 |
| Dec | 39 | 25 |
How hot and cold Carson City really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about 19°F (around December 21), with roughly 171 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 32°F), worst in December.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°F) | 40 | 42 | 48 | 54 | 64 | 75 | 84 | 84 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 39 |
| Air high (°F) | 40 | 42 | 48 | 54 | 64 | 75 | 84 | 83 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 39 |
| Feels-like low (°F) | 21 | 22 | 25 | 29 | 38 | 48 | 56 | 57 | 51 | 40 | 28 | 21 |
| Air low (°F) | 26 | 27 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 49 | 56 | 57 | 52 | 42 | 32 | 25 |
| Feels-like high (°F) | Air high (°F) | Feels-like low (°F) | Air low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 40 | 21 | 26 |
| Feb | 42 | 42 | 22 | 27 |
| Mar | 48 | 48 | 25 | 30 |
| Apr | 54 | 54 | 29 | 34 |
| May | 64 | 64 | 38 | 41 |
| Jun | 75 | 75 | 48 | 49 |
| Jul | 84 | 84 | 56 | 56 |
| Aug | 84 | 83 | 57 | 57 |
| Sep | 76 | 76 | 51 | 52 |
| Oct | 63 | 63 | 40 | 42 |
| Nov | 49 | 49 | 28 | 32 |
| Dec | 39 | 39 | 21 | 25 |
Average hourly temperature in Carson City
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 84°F, and coldest before dawn in December, near 25°F.
Carson City weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40° / 26° | 3.2 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 9.6 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 42° / 27° | 2.8 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 48° / 30° | 2.6 | 8.2 | 7 | 11.7 | 1.8 |
| Apr | 54° / 34° | 1.3 | 6.9 | 4.7 | 13 | 3.6 |
| May | 64° / 41° | 1.2 | 6.8 | 1.7 | 14.1 | 6.3 |
| Jun | 75° / 49° | 0.5 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 14.7 | 8.3 |
| Jul | 84° / 56° | 0.3 | 2.5 | 0 | 14.5 | 6.9 |
| Aug | 83° / 57° | 0.3 | 2.5 | 0 | 13.5 | 7.3 |
| Sep | 76° / 52° | 0.4 | 2.5 | 0 | 12.3 | 8.7 |
| Oct | 63° / 42° | 1.1 | 4 | 1.2 | 11 | 6.7 |
| Nov | 49° / 32° | 1.7 | 6.6 | 4.8 | 9.9 | 2.3 |
| Dec | 39° / 25° | 3.1 | 8.6 | 8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Carson City gets about 18.6 in of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.9 months, from around Nov 3 to May 31, peaking in February at about 34% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 5.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 3.2 in over about 9 wet days; July is the driest, with 0.3 in. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 28 | 32 | 27 | 23 | 21 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 22 | 27 |
| Rain days | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 9 |
| Feb | 32 | 9 |
| Mar | 27 | 8 |
| Apr | 23 | 7 |
| May | 21 | 7 |
| Jun | 11 | 3 |
| Jul | 8 | 3 |
| Aug | 8 | 3 |
| Sep | 8 | 3 |
| Oct | 13 | 4 |
| Nov | 22 | 7 |
| Dec | 27 | 9 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Carson City collects about 18.6 in of rain across 69 wet days — roughly 1.5 in in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 3.2 in, while July is the driest at just 0.3 in. The three wettest months alone bring about 49% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (in) | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 |
| Rain days | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| Snow days | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| Rainfall (in) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.2 | 9 | 8 |
| Feb | 2.8 | 9 | 8 |
| Mar | 2.6 | 8 | 7 |
| Apr | 1.3 | 7 | 5 |
| May | 1.2 | 7 | 2 |
| Jun | 0.5 | 3 | 0 |
| Jul | 0.3 | 3 | 0 |
| Aug | 0.3 | 3 | 0 |
| Sep | 0.4 | 3 | 0 |
| Oct | 1.1 | 4 | 1 |
| Nov | 1.7 | 7 | 5 |
| Dec | 3.1 | 9 | 8 |
Snow in Carson City
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
Carson City averages about 44 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Oct 3 to Jun 5 — about 8.1 months.
February is snowiest, with roughly 9 days of snow and an estimated 27 in of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 118 in of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| Snowfall (in) | 25 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 24 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (in) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | 25 |
| Feb | 8 | 27 |
| Mar | 7 | 18 |
| Apr | 5 | 9 |
| May | 2 | 3 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 2 |
| Nov | 5 | 9 |
| Dec | 8 | 24 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Carson City, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around May 29 and lasts for 5.3 months, ending around November 4. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 90% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 5 and lasts for 6.7 months, ending around May 28. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 55% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 45 | 46 | 48 | 56 | 63 | 79 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 78 | 58 | 47 |
| Cloudier (%) | 55 | 54 | 52 | 44 | 37 | 21 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 42 | 53 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 55 |
| Feb | 46 | 54 |
| Mar | 48 | 52 |
| Apr | 56 | 44 |
| May | 63 | 37 |
| Jun | 79 | 21 |
| Jul | 88 | 12 |
| Aug | 90 | 10 |
| Sep | 88 | 12 |
| Oct | 78 | 22 |
| Nov | 58 | 42 |
| Dec | 47 | 53 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 19, brings about 14 h 48 min of light; the shortest, around December 19, only 9 h 12 min — a swing of roughly 5 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.5 | 11.7 | 13.0 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:22 | 6:59 | 6:18 | 5:29 | 4:51 | 4:37 | 4:50 | 5:17 | 5:46 | 6:15 | 6:50 | 7:17 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:54 | 5:28 | 5:59 | 6:30 | 6:59 | 7:21 | 7:20 | 6:50 | 6:01 | 5:13 | 4:39 | 4:33 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.6 | 7:22 | 4:54 |
| Feb | 10.5 | 6:59 | 5:28 |
| Mar | 11.7 | 6:18 | 5:59 |
| Apr | 13.0 | 5:29 | 6:30 |
| May | 14.1 | 4:51 | 6:59 |
| Jun | 14.7 | 4:37 | 7:21 |
| Jul | 14.5 | 4:50 | 7:20 |
| Aug | 13.5 | 5:17 | 6:50 |
| Sep | 12.3 | 5:46 | 6:01 |
| Oct | 11.0 | 6:15 | 5:13 |
| Nov | 9.9 | 6:50 | 4:39 |
| Dec | 9.3 | 7:17 | 4:33 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Carson City averages about 15 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 9 and 25 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.1 months, from around Jun 2 to Nov 2. The sunniest month is August, with roughly 24 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is February, down near 9 sunny days — about 62% fewer than the August peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 10 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Mixed |
| Feb | 8 | Mixed |
| Mar | 10 | Mixed |
| Apr | 11 | Mixed |
| May | 13 | Mixed |
| Jun | 19 | Bright |
| Jul | 23 | Bright |
| Aug | 25 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 23 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 19 | Bright |
| Nov | 13 | Mixed |
| Dec | 10 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Carson City, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in July, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 0% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Dry (%) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 100 |
| Feb | 100 |
| Mar | 100 |
| Apr | 100 |
| May | 100 |
| Jun | 100 |
| Jul | 100 |
| Aug | 100 |
| Sep | 100 |
| Oct | 100 |
| Nov | 100 |
| Dec | 100 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in Carson City is steady company: average speeds sit near 4 mph — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | calm |
| Feb | 4 | calm |
| Mar | 4 | calm |
| Apr | 5 | calm |
| May | 5 | calm |
| Jun | 5 | calm |
| Jul | 4 | calm |
| Aug | 4 | calm |
| Sep | 4 | calm |
| Oct | 4 | calm |
| Nov | 4 | calm |
| Dec | 4 | calm |
Best time to visit Carson City
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Carson City throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late August, Carson City is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 64°F and 82°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Carson City for general outdoor tourist activities run from late May to mid July and again from mid August to mid October, with a peak score in the third week of September.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 3.7 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 6.7 | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | fair | good | ideal | good | good | ideal | good | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.0 | poor |
| Feb | 0.4 | poor |
| Mar | 1.8 | poor |
| Apr | 3.7 | fair |
| May | 6.3 | good |
| Jun | 8.3 | ideal |
| Jul | 7.0 | good |
| Aug | 7.3 | good |
| Sep | 8.6 | ideal |
| Oct | 6.7 | good |
| Nov | 2.4 | poor |
| Dec | 0.1 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 75°F and 93°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Carson City for hot-weather activities is from mid June to mid September, with a peak score in the second week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Carson City, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 84°F), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around December (highs near 39°F), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear.
In July, Carson City sees daytime highs around 84°F and nights near 56°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index (midday) in Carson City by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Carson City peaks around June 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 23 at about 2 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 5 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 7 | High |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 7 | High |
| Oct | 5 | High |
| Nov | 2 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Carson City
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 4 | 4.5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6.5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 4 | 0 |
| Mar | 4.5 | 0 |
| Apr | 7 | 3 |
| May | 8 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 9 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 9 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 6.5 | 3 |
| Oct | 5 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in Carson City by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Carson City is worst in August — around 85 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 16.6× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 45 | 85 | 34 | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Poor | Unhealthy | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | Good |
| Feb | 8 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 9 | Good |
| May | 9 | Good |
| Jun | 14 | Moderate |
| Jul | 45 | Poor |
| Aug | 85 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 34 | Moderate |
| Oct | 11 | Good |
| Nov | 6 | Good |
| Dec | 5 | Good |
Growing season
The growing season in Carson City typically lasts about 222 days, from around April 8 to November 15 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from May 8 to October 21.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 16 | 21 | 36 | 62 | 93 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 91 | 50 | 18 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 30 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | 31 |
| Feb | 21 | 28 |
| Mar | 36 | 31 |
| Apr | 62 | 30 |
| May | 93 | 8 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 91 | 12 |
| Nov | 50 | 30 |
| Dec | 18 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 50°F: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Carson City banks about 2,216 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°F·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 364 | 635 | 629 | 409 | 96 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°F·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 84 |
| Jun | 364 |
| Jul | 635 |
| Aug | 629 |
| Sep | 409 |
| Oct | 96 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Carson City receives about 5.5 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.4 and 8.4 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.3 months, from around Mar 19 to Sep 26. The brightest month is June, averaging about 8.2 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 2.4 kWh/m² — roughly 71% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 2.7 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 6.1 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.7 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5.3 | Bright |
| Apr | 6.7 | Intense |
| May | 7.5 | Intense |
| Jun | 8.3 | Intense |
| Jul | 8.2 | Intense |
| Aug | 7.4 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.1 | Intense |
| Oct | 4.4 | Bright |
| Nov | 3.0 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2.4 | Moderate |
Where is Carson City?
Carson City sits at 39.2°N, 119.8°W, 4,682 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Lake Tahoe, 20 mi away.
Topography around Carson City
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Carson City.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Carson City has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,260 ft around an average of 4,793 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,833 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,088 ft.
The land around Carson City is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and grassland (33%) within 2 miles, grassland (44%) and trees (34%) within 10 miles, and trees (40%) and grassland (35%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Carson City (39.1638°, -119.7674°, elevation 4,682 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).