Reno-Sparks sun, heat and housing data
Reno-Tahoe International Airport averages 65 days a year at 90F or hotter and 6 at 100F or hotter, with an average summer high of 90F (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Reno-Sparks also needs about 4.5 times as much heating as cooling over a year, which is why solar screens here are a summer tool, not a year-round one.
Heat
The summer sun, by the numbers
Days at 90F or hotter, by month
Reno-Tahoe International Airport, 1991-2020 normals
Average high by month (F)
Same station and period
Afternoon wind
Afternoon winds pick up across the Truckee Meadows, especially in spring and early summer. Wind is what bends screen frames, pops spline loose and knocks sliding screen doors off their track, so it matters as much as sun when you choose screens.
Average afternoon wind speed (mph)
NOAA hourly normals, Reno-Tahoe International Airport
Elevation and UV
The U.S. EPA says: “ALTITUDE affects UV radiation; UV increases about 2% for every 1,000-foot increase in elevation due to thinner mountain air.” Every area we serve sits well above 4,000 feet, so the sun that reaches a Reno-Sparks window carries more UV than it would at sea level. That UV is what fades floors, furniture and window coverings.
| Area | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sparks | 4,413 ft |
| Reno | 4,505 ft |
| Spanish Springs | 4,494 ft |
| Sun Valley | 4,723 ft |
| North Valleys | 4,984 ft |
| South Reno | 4,519 ft |
| Northwest Reno & Verdi | 5,760 ft |
Homes
Housing across Reno-Sparks
Newer homes tend to have big west-facing sliders and tall windows; older homes more often need rescreening and new frames.
| Area | Housing units | Owner-occupied | Single-family detached | Built 2000 or later |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparks | 45,898 | 59.8% | 62.4% | 39.8% |
| Reno | 123,756 | 49.8% | 50.1% | 35.6% |
| Spanish Springs | 6,947 | 91.9% | 94.9% | 57.2% |
| Sun Valley | 7,177 | 75.5% | 43.5% | 15.6% |
| North Valleys | 22,724 | 76.3% | 72.3% | 50.6% |
| South Reno | 17,782 | 68.9% | 73.0% | 76.1% |
| Northwest Reno & Verdi | 17,027 | 60.8% | 64.1% | 47.1% |
What federal energy sources say about window heat
“In cooling seasons, about 76% of sunlight that falls on standard double-pane windows enters to become heat.”
“About 30% of a home's heating energy is lost through windows.”
“Exterior shutters and shades are usually made of a variety of materials, including fabric, wood, steel, aluminum, or vinyl. They are most effective at reducing solar heat gain.”
No government source gives a single savings number for solar screens in our climate, and a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study found that in mixed climates like ours, exterior shading saves cooling energy in summer but can add heating energy in winter. That is why we talk about comfort, glare and fading, and why some customers take south-facing screens down in winter.
About these numbers
- Temperatures, degree days and wind: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Reno-Tahoe International Airport (GHCND:USW00023185).
- UV and elevation: U.S. EPA UV Index guidance; elevations from the USGS 3D Elevation Program point query.
- Housing: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, by census place or ZIP code tabulation area.
- Normals are 30-year averages at one station; any single year, and any one neighborhood, can run hotter or cooler.
Since 1997 · Sparks, Nevada
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