74
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$16K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Washoe County, Nevada: 74 recorded events between 1969 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 73. That places the county #2,524 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Washoe County, Nevada: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Washoe County is the 2000s, when 23 of the county's 74 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Washoe County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 23.2% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,524 for this hazard and #4 within Nevada, putting it in the 20.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Washoe County with 44 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 1985 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jul 14, 2002 | SUTCLIFFE | 51 | 0 | 1 | $5K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2025 | FLANIGAN | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 24, 2025 | FLANIGAN | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2025 | (RNO)CANNON ARPT REN | 55 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 2025 | SUTCLIFFE | 54 | $0 |
| Sep 6, 2022 | STEAD AFB | 52 | $0 |
| Sep 5, 2017 | (RNO)CANNON ARPT REN | 57 | $0 |
| Aug 4, 2017 | GALENA CREEK | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 19, 2015 | PHIL SIDING | 58 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 2015 | LEMMON VLY | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 2015 | SPARKS | 61 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Washoe County
- Heavy Rain 123
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A wind gust estimated at 39 kt (45 mph) caused damage near Los Altos Parkway in Sparks. The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that a few fences were knocked down by the strong winds. One homeowner had six feet of wood fence destroyed, along with two screen-glass doors that were shattered.
A pulse thunderstorm produced a strong outflow that caused 3-foot whitecaps along Washoe Lake along with several snapped tree limbs 3���4 inches in diameter. Washoe Valley Mesonet reported a 59 MPH wind gust from 1625���1630PST.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Washoe County, Nevada?
74 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Washoe County between 1969 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Washoe County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Washoe County measured 73.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Washoe County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Washoe County, Nevada.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/nevada/washoe-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.