Washoe CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Average — typical outage frequency and duration nationally. This county sits in the middle of the national distribution — its outage frequency and duration over the past 12 years are close to the nationwide median, neither notably better nor worse than most other US counties. A typical amount of backup-power preparedness is reasonable here.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2023 | 125 hrs | 49,287 (20%) | Heavy Snow |
| Nov 10, 2015 | 53 hrs | 35,926 (14%) | Winter Weather |
| Nov 5, 2025 | 15 hrs | 32,941 (13%) | High Wind |
| Jun 6, 2025 | 162 hrs | 32,454 (13%) | Heavy Rain |
| Aug 12, 2024 | 40 hrs | 28,750 (12%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Washoe County, Nevada that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Washoe County recorded 2,011 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.5 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Washoe County started January 1, 2023 (Heavy Snow), lasting 125 hours and leaving up to 49,287 customers without power (20% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Washoe County, with 286 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Washoe County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 54th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Nevada
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Washoe County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Elko County | C | 56th |
| Lyon County | C | 58th |
| Eureka County | B | 64th |
| Churchill County | B | 71st |
| Carson City County | B | 71st |
Most reliable counties nationally
The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | South Dakota | A | 100th |
| Clearwater County | Minnesota | A | 99th |
| Limestone County | Alabama | A | 99th |
Least reliable counties nationally
The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Lincoln County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Cameron Parish | Louisiana | F | 0th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Washoe County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Washoe County recorded 2,011 outage events, averaging 3.5 hours each.
What is Washoe County's reliability grade?
Washoe County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 54th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Washoe County?
The worst outage on record started January 1, 2023 (Heavy Snow), lasting 125 hours and affecting up to 49,287 customers.