Fruit bodies (mushrooms) have red-orange caps up to 3.8 cm (1.5 in) in diameter with a shape ranging from conic, convex, or flattened, depending on their age.

The holotype material was collected on the Colima volcano, in the Municipality of Zapotlán el Grande, at an elevation of 2,100 m (6,900 ft).

Molecular analyses of internal transcribed spacer DNA sequences supports the placement of P. nevadensis in Celluloderma, and further suggest that it has a sister relationship with P. horakianas.

The specific epithet nevadensis refers to the mountain, Nevado de Colima, where the type material was collected.

The gills are free from attachment to the stem, crowded closely together, broad to swollen in the middle, and white or whitish when young to salmon-pinkish in age.

The pleurocystidia (cystidia on the gill face) are 41.8–75 by 11.8–24 μm, frequent, scattered, and flask-shaped with short or elongated necks.

Some pleurocystidia are somewhat fusiform (tapered on each end) or somewhat utriform (shaped like a leather bottle or flask), thin-walled, and hyaline.

[3] Pluteus aurantiorugosus is very similar to P. nevadensis in external appearance, and the two can only be reliably distinguished by microscopic characteristics or DNA sequence.

[6] The species Pluteus horakianus shares with P. nevadensis a fragile fruit body, a red cap, and similar cystidial morphology.

Other species with a roughly similar appearance, including P. aurantiopustulatus, P. aurantipes, P. flammipes, P. laetifrons, and P. laetus, can be distinguished by differences in microscopic characteristics.