Snow in Las Vegas? Why Summerlin gets those random, icy winters

It may be getting hotter in Las Vegas, but westward expansion of the valley is lending itself to another extreme on the other end of the spectrum: snowstorms.

Those who move to Summerlin may have an occasional need for a snow shovel.

The master-planned community on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley is prone to these weather anomalies because of its higher elevation, National Weather Service meteorologist Andy Gorelow said. Parts of it are up to 3,500 feet higher than the rest of the valley, which Gorelow said makes it about 5 to 7 degrees cooler on average.

That cooler difference is more intensely felt during Las Vegas’ deadly summers, Gorelow said.

“If you want to escape the Vegas heat, move to Summerlin,” he joked.

The last major snow event in Summerlin occurred in January 2021, when sections of the community saw up to about 3 inches of snow, Gorelow said. In February 2019, that number was about 8.5 inches of snow during one weather event. The snow doesn’t typically last for more than a day or so, he added.

“The further west you go, we’re going to start seeing more and more reports over the next few years of snow in Summerlin,” Gorelow said.

The cooler temperatures are sometimes a draw for homeowners.

Danielle Bisterfeldt, Summerlin’s senior vice president of marketing and consumer experience, said in a statement that the cooler temperatures are a major factor in people’s decisions to move to the community.

“Those who live in Summerlin can feel a distinctly cooler temperature difference,” Bisterfeldt said. “Higher elevation, which typically delivers more precipitation, also supports a wider variety of naturally occurring vegetation in the beautiful desert areas near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.”

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.