Does It Ever Snow in Las Vegas?

Las Vegas is one of the hottest and driest cities in the United States and the world. The sun shines an average of 300 plus days a year in Las Vegas, Nevada and it only rains on about 26 days per year on average. But on rare occasions occurring every few years it does snow in Las Vegas.

                                                   (Photo by Mike Russell)

Surrounding Las Vegas are mountains with much higher elevations than the city itself and each winter some snowfall can be seen on these mountains. But Las Vegas itself lies in a valley where temperatures are warmer than in the surrounding mountains so snowfall, when it does occur, rarely amounts to much and very rarely accumulates.

The largest snow storm to ever hit Las Vegas occurred from January 10-12, 1949. Snow did accumulate from that storm to the tune of 9.7 inches at the city's official weather station. But the snow did not last and was gone before long. Here are a few more modern times when snow accumulated in Las Vegas for a brief periods of time.

1.  January 31, 1979 - 7.4" of snow accumulated in Las Vegas causing all schools to close and 150 vehicle accidents (a Las Vegas record)

2. January 1, 4, and 5, 1974 - 4.5" of snow fell and melted on each day causing schools to be closed for all three days

3. December 18, 2008 - 3.6" of snow fell causing first snow day in 29 years

The coldest temperature reading ever in Las Vegas is 8 degrees which has occurred on a number of different dates. The coldest high temperature for a day in the city is 28 degrees which has occurred twice and just one other time it was 29 degrees. When the temperature rises to over freezing on almost every single day ever recorded in Las Vegas history it is impossible for snow to last in the city.

Snow or at least snow flurries have been recorded in Las Vegas in the months of November through April. The snow in April was just flurries which occurred on April 2, 1997 but on November 15, 1964 over 3 inches of snow fell at the airport.

In both 1941 and 1988 trace amounts of snow fell on Christmas Day but it's a pretty sure bet that Las Vegas will not have a white Christmas this year or almost any other year.

For more see:

Hoba Meteorite is the Largest Meteorite on Earth

Minneapolis, Minnesota is the Coldest Weather City in the United States

Mauna Kea Not Mount Everest is the Tallest Mountain in the World

Boston Not Chicago is the Windiest Weather City in the United States
Which Two States Have Never Been Above 100 Degrees?