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FACT BRIEF

Was Las Vegas’s Valentine’s Day 2023 snowfall the first on record?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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YES

On Feb. 14, Las Vegas received its first Valentine’s Day snowfall on record. The National Weather Service began keeping records in 1937.

Many factors influence an area's likelihood of snowfall. The three most important are humidity, temperature and longitude, according to a study published in the Journal of Arid Land. The study listed elevation, aspect and latitude as secondary factors, and slope and wind speed as tertiary factors.

Las Vegas, which is located in the Mojave Desert, has a relatively low longitude and elevation and is a considerable distance away from the moisture of the Pacific Ocean. These characteristics give it a warm, dry climate, making snow a rare occurrence — about once in five years.

Northern Nevada’s higher longitude and elevation, and higher humidity in the northwest, afford this part of the state more snowfall. Reno, for instance, gets snow an average of 14 days a year.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Las Vegas Review-Journal Valentine’s Day storm sends Las Vegas a white love letter
Journal of Arid Land Environmental factors influencing snowfall and snowfall prediction in the Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China
Current Results Las Vegas, NV Weather Averages
Current Results Reno, NV Snowfall Totals & Snow Accumulation Averages
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The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.