Located nearby the Sierra Nevada mountain range and close to many ski resorts around Lake Tahoe, Reno has been dubbed “The Biggest Little City in the World.” It's known for its casinos, shops, restaurants, a National Automobile Museum that showcases more than 200 vintage cars, and the Animal Ark sanctuary for rescued bears, cheetahs, and other wildlife. However, sitting at an elevation of 4,400 feet just to the east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, its year-round climate can be challenging for those who do Reno lawn maintenance. Adapting to the often wild swings in weather patterns requires a knowledge of the right variety of grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees for this rather distinctive climate and soil which tends to be a fast draining, mostly rocky, clay-based foundation. One of the primary reasons for its unpredictable and often dry climate is something called the rain shadow. Since Reno is on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range, and mountain ranges act as natural barriers to the flow of air across the Earth’s surface, the city tends to have a very dry weather pattern. In the case of Reno, it’s because as the warm Pacific air travels up along the side of the Sierras, it begins to cool as it rises, often resulting in the formation of clouds, and eventually, precipitation—all of which falls on what is called the windward slope of the range. The opposite side of the Sierras is what is termed as the leeward side, which is sheltered from the prevailing winds coming up the slope. In contrast to the moist windward side of the Sierras, the leeward side will typically have a dry, warm climate due to the fact that the air has already been stripped of most of its moisture. This effect is also known as a rain shadow, which not only carries a low relative humidity but also pushes extremely strong winds down the mountain range that are infamous for the hot and dry weather that they bring. As a result, Reno averages only 7.48 inches of rainfall per year but also averages over 21 inches of snowfall per year because of its altitude. Obviously, the climate can wreak havoc on anyone’s gardening habits such that Reno Lawn Maintenance can be a challenging task for even those most experienced in handling this climate.
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