--- title: December Tree Care in Northern Nevada: Calendar url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-care-calendar/december/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [The Field Guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/) - [Tree care calendar](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-care-calendar/) - December # Tree care in December in Northern Nevada December is Carson City's snowiest month at 6.4 inches, nearly half its 14.0-inch annual normal, and the month storm limbs and snow service matter most. Live pruning waits; hazards and emergencies do not. Before the task list, the weather this month usually brings across the service area: ## December weather normals | Station | Elevation (ft) | Precipitation (in) | Snowfall (in) | Mean temperature (F) | Average low (F) | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Reno airport | 4,410 | 1.1 | 5.2 | 36.2 | 25.7 | | Carson City | 4,761 | 1.5 | 6.4 | 34.2 | 23.9 | | Minden | 4,709 | 1.54 | 5.2 | 32.2 | 18.7 | | Glenbrook | 6,350 | 3.05 | not reported | 32.7 | 24.9 | | Fallon | 3,965 | 0.39 | 1.4 | 32.1 | 19.0 | Source: [NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, monthly](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals). Monthly normals for December at five stations. Glenbrook publishes no snowfall normal. ## December checklist - Stay out from under bowed or ice-covered limbs - Call a tree service for large or high storm damage - Keep emergency numbers handy: 911, NV Energy, then the tree service - Water only on thawed, snow-free ground above 40 F - Keep walks and drives cleared or arranged with a snow service - Check the burn code before using a stove - Plan late-winter pruning for January and February Carson City's December snowfall of 6.4 inches beats January's 3.6 and also the Reno airport's 5.2. At Tahoe, Glenbrook's 3.05 inches of December precipitation is more than double Carson City's 1.50. ## December weather at five stations Carson City's 6.4 inches is its highest month of the year, and its 14.0-inch annual total is the sum of 3.6 in January, 1.7 in February, 1.6 in March, 0.7 in November and 6.4 in December. Reno and Minden each get 5.2 inches, and Fallon 1.4. Mean temperatures run 32 to 36 F at the valley stations. | Station (elevation, ft) | Mean temp (F) | Precip (in.) | Snow (in.) | |---|---|---|---| | Reno airport (4,410) | 36.2 | 1.10 | 5.2 | | Carson City (4,761) | 34.2 | 1.50 | 6.4 | | Minden (4,709) | 32.2 | 1.54 | 5.2 | | Glenbrook (Tahoe) (6,350) | 32.7 | 3.05 | no normal | | Fallon (3,965) | 32.1 | 0.39 | 1.4 | Station normals, not town averages. NOAA flags Glenbrook's temperature normals as reduced completeness and publishes no snowfall normal there. ## What the trees are doing Dormant. Snow and ice are the main loads. Trees with tight forks, included bark, long heavy limbs or old wounds are the ones that fail. See [storm and snow-load breakage](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/storm-and-snow-load-breakage/) for what an arborist checks. ## Jobs that fit December Storm clean-up, safety assessment, cabling and stabilization, and hazard removal are the work. Missouri Extension warns that bowed branches store energy and that a limb hanging by a strip of bark can drop without notice, so leave them to a crew. Avoid ice-covered branches. Do not stand under a limb to assess it. If a tree is on a house, see [the first-hour checklist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-fell-on-house/). ## Snow, ice and trees Plows and piled snow damage trunks, and de-icing salt can harm roots; see [protecting trees from plow and snow-load damage](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/protecting-trees-from-plows-snow-load/) and [ice melt, salt and your trees](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/ice-melt-salt-and-trees/). Our snow team is available around the clock in snow season. Ask whether your address is on the route. ## Valley versus lake Around the lake, snow lasts longer than in the valleys, and access can be the hard part. After a storm, the priority is existing clients, but we serve anyone in need. The emergency line is [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) and is answered around the clock. Estimates for planned work are free. ### Sources - [NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, monthly (Reno airport USW00023185, Carson City USC00261485, Minden USC00265191, Glenbrook USC00263205, Fallon Exp Stn USC00262780)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals) (pulled October 17, 2026) - [University of Missouri Extension: Caring for Snow-Damaged Trees](https://extension.missouri.edu/news/caring-for-snow-damaged-trees) (read October 17, 2026) - [NV Energy: Trees and power lines](https://www.nvenergy.com/tree) (read October 1, 2026) - [Northern Nevada Public Health: Wood-Burning Devices](https://www.nnph.org/programs-and-services/air-quality/Wood-Burning_Devices.php) (read October 17, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Heavy wet snow and broken limbs: what to do the morning after](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/heavy-snow-broken-limbs/) - [A tree fell on the house: first hour checklist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-fell-on-house/) - [Storm damage: what to do first](https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/storm-damage-what-to-do-first/) - [Protecting trees from plow and snow-load damage](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/protecting-trees-from-plows-snow-load/) - [Emergency tree service and storm clean-up](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/emergency-tree-service/) - [Northern Nevada tree care calendar](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-care-calendar/) ### Month by month - [The full tree care calendar](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-care-calendar/) [Previous month: Tree care in November in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-care-calendar/november/) [Next month: Tree care in January in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-care-calendar/january/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### What should I do when a tree limb breaks in a snowstorm? Stay away. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. If a line is involved, stay away and call NV Energy, then call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). ### Is December a good time to prune? Only hazards and dead wood. Most live pruning of deciduous trees is better in late winter. ### How much snow does Carson City get in December? The NOAA 1991-2020 normal is 6.4 inches, nearly half the year's 14.0 inches.