February checklist
- Prune deciduous shade trees while they are dormant and before buds swell
- Finish backyard fruit-tree pruning in the dormant season
- Hold conifer pruning for early spring and summer
- Take dead, broken and hanging wood out of any tree any time
- Note that the Washoe County burn code ends with February
- Have an arborist look at large trees over structures before the growing season
- Call 811 before any stump grinding
Between January and February the valley stations warm by 3.5 to 5 F, but Glenbrook on the Tahoe shore barely moves, from 32.7 F to 33.1 F. That gap is why a pruning window that opens in the valley in February does not open at the lake until later.
February weather at five stations
February's mean temperature at the Reno airport is 40.6 F, up 3.7 degrees from January; Carson City rises 3.5 degrees to 38.3 F. Snowfall drops in most places, with Carson City falling from 3.6 inches to 1.7 inches, while Reno stays at 5.2 and Minden gets 4.1 inches. Glenbrook is still the wet one, with 2.71 inches of precipitation.
| Station (elevation, ft) | Mean temp (F) | Precip (in.) | Snow (in.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reno airport (4,410) | 40.6 | 1.03 | 5.2 |
| Carson City (4,761) | 38.3 | 1.48 | 1.7 |
| Minden (4,709) | 36.7 | 1.30 | 4.1 |
| Glenbrook (Tahoe) (6,350) | 33.1 | 2.71 | no normal |
| Fallon (3,965) | 37.8 | 0.47 | 0.7 |
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
Sap has not started to run in earnest, and buds are tight. The tree's structure is bare and open to inspection. This is the stage Battle Born's own pruning advice and the International Society of Arboriculture point to for most deciduous trees: late winter, while dormant, before spring growth.
Jobs that fit February
Structural pruning of ash, honeylocust, elm and maples, removal of crossing and rubbing limbs, and reduction of weight on long limbs all fit here. A dormant tree shows what to cut, and fresh cuts have time to start closing when growth begins. Take no more than 15 to 20 percent of a mature fruit tree's live wood in one year, per University of Nevada, Reno Extension. For the species-by-species timing, see the pruning timing guide, and for what each cut means, crown thinning, raising and reduction.
Never top a tree. Topping removes the main leaders and invites weak regrowth; see why topping is not pruning.
Leave alone for now
Most conifers are pruned in early spring and summer, not in February. Do not prune live wood on a tree just because the weather is mild for a day. Call 811 before stump grinding below grade, whatever the month.
Valley versus lake
On the Tahoe shore Glenbrook's mean stays at 33.1 F, so access and snow cover, not the calendar, set the pruning window. Its 2.71 inches of precipitation, against 0.47 at Fallon, shows the difference in water. If you are unsure whether it is the right month for your tree, a certified arborist can tell you, and we offer free estimates. Call 775.232.8243 for a free estimate; the phone is staffed seven days a week, and a certified arborist assesses every job before work begins.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, monthly (Reno airport USW00023185, Carson City USC00261485, Minden USC00265191, Glenbrook USC00263205, Fallon Exp Stn USC00262780) (pulled October 17, 2026)
- International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Pruning Your Trees (read October 17, 2026)
- University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Getting Started with Backyard Fruit Trees in Northern Nevada (read October 17, 2026)
- Call 811 (USA North 811) (read October 1, 2026)
- Northern Nevada Public Health: Wood-Burning Devices (read October 17, 2026)