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As the climate warms, the “biggest little city in the world” – Reno, Nevada – is experiencing some of the biggest changes.

Last fall, temperatures in Reno did not dip below freezing until November 19. It was the city’s latest fall freeze on record.

And scientists from the nonprofit Climate Central have found that Reno’s first fall freeze of the season is now happening 41 days later on average than it did in 1970. Among the more than 200 U.S. cities they analyzed, that’s the longest delay.

Perry: “And so it is a pattern.”

Baker Perry, Nevada’s state climatologist, says the shift is driven by both global warming and rapid development as Reno’s population booms and the city grows.

Perry: “As Reno and other areas have grown and developed, we’ve seen an increase in surfaces that are made up of concrete, asphalt.”

These surfaces absorb heat from the sun, making the city hotter than surrounding areas.

Perry says data from Winnemucca and Boca Reservoir – two nearby areas that are more rural– show a fall freeze delay of about two weeks. That’s significant but much less than what Reno is experiencing.

So people are contributing to Reno’s warming climate in more ways than one.

Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media