Sparks

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Washoe County, the county that contains Sparks.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Washoe County, the county that contains Sparks.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Washoe County, the county that contains Sparks.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Volcanoes within 100 miles

1. U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.

USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Washoe County.

Mapped by NV NBMG (67), USGS Conterminous (4), NASA (2).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Oct 14, 2016Wildfire, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area$30.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A prescribed burn that was thought to be mopped up on October 13th flared up as high winds affected the Carson Range early on the 14th. The Little Valley Fire burned through 2,291 acres and destroyed 23 homes and 17 outbuildings. According to a Reno Gazette Journal investigation, the estimated value of 18 of the homes exceeded 26 million dollars with an independent fire consultant indicating that damages could exceed 80 million. The Little Valley RAWS measured a wind gust of 87 mph around 130 AM PDT on the 14th, close to the time of the wildfire start.

2. Nov 18, 2011Wildfire, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area$8.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   High winds caused a tree to fall on a power line sparking a rapidly spreading wildfire in southwest Reno around 0030PST. The 2,000 acre Caughlin Fire fire spread, sometimes up to 30 mph, and caused the destruction of around 30 homes during the early morning of the 18th. Over 9,000 people were evacuated from the fire area early Friday before being allowed to return Saturday. One man died while evacuating his home, a firefighter suffered second-degree burns, and 16 others were admitted to area hospitals for smoke inhalation.

3. Jan 8, 2017Flood$7.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Highway 446 was destroyed by flood waters in more than 10 places on the southwest side of Pyramid Lake. Some sections were left with nearly 50-foot deep ravines. The highway was not re-opened to the public until early March. Repair cost based on Nevada Department of Transportation estimates from Reno-Gazette Journal article in February.

4. Dec 31, 2005Flood$5.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A levee along Steamboat Creek failed and flooded the University of Nevada - Reno agricultural farm in east Reno. Around 1,800 animals were evacuated to higher ground, but 344 sheep drowned in the floodwaters. The Industrial Area in east Sparks suffered flooding, with an estimated 900 business reporting damage. Greg Street was impassable in many locations. Some areas near Glendale Avenue were covered with four feet of floodwater. A health hazard was created when raw sewage contaminated floodwaters in the Spice Island Drive area of Sparks. In downtown Reno all bridges across the Truckee River were closed. Flooding also occurred at the base of Mt. Rose Highway at its intersection…

5. Jun 19, 2026Flash Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Law enforcement and the public reported significant flash flooding and debris flows impacting most of the Hidden Valley community in east Reno. Six homes suffered major damage or have been destroyed.

6. Dec 10, 2022Winter Storm, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   NWS Employee located 2.0 mi S of Spanish Springs relayed photos of wind damage at a CVS department store. A section of roofing material was torn off. The time of damage was estimated.

7. Jan 19, 2012Wildfire, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area$4.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Strong winds (up to 84 mph) and the improper disposal of fireplace ashes caused the rapid spread of a fire originating at the north end of Washoe Valley early in the afternoon on the 19th. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate from the swift-moving fire. Around 3100 acres were burned with 28 homes destroyed (7 damaged) and one fatality attributed to the fire. ||For information purposes only (not direct costs from wildfire), the tally of fire-fighting related costs were at least 1.5 million dollars.

8. Dec 10, 2022Winter Storm, Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The public (retired NWS employee) relayed photos of glass bathroom tiles being blown off. Another report included photos that showed wood fence damage as well as several uprooted small trees. Exact time and location estimated from the report.

9. Jul 27, 2025Flash Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Nevada State Police reported flooding on I-80 between Wells Ave and Virginia St prompting the closure of I-80 westbound lanes. Also, University of Nevada Reno reported flooding of buildings on campus and there was flooding reported throughout J Casino.

10. Jan 8, 2017Flood$1.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Flooding from Steamboat Creek and the North Truckee Drain (near I-80 in Sparks) combined with some input from the Truckee River to bring a large area of lowland flooding between McCarran Blvd and Hidden Valley, as well as south of Interstate 80 in the Sparks Industrial area. Several days of notice allowed many businesses and homes in Hidden Valley (near Boynton Slough) to prepare flood mitigation measures including sandbagging. However, several homes in Hidden Valley still had flood damage due to overtopped sandbags and/or basement flooding. The timing of the flood is approximate and the damage is roughly estimated.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

108°F4 times, most recently Jul 16, 2023

All-time low

−16°F4 times, most recently Feb 7, 1989

Warmest night

77°F4 times, most recently Aug 8, 2026

Coldest day

6°FDec 9, 1972

Wettest day

2.29 inJan 21, 1943

Snowiest day

18.0 inFeb 16, 1990

Hottest year

2014mean 57.4°F

Coldest year

1949mean 47.7°F

Wettest year

201713.73 in

Driest year

19471.55 in

Snowiest season

59.3 in1951-52

Station Reno Airport (USW00023185), 4,405 ft elevation, 5.4 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1937 to October 27, 2026; 100.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Washoe County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00023185.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.