Montana avalanche risk
Park County has the highest avalanche risk in Montana, scoring 99.6 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Park County | 99.6 | Very High |
| 2 | Flathead County | 98.5 | Very High |
| 3 | Madison County | 97.4 | Very High |
| 4 | Gallatin County | 96.6 | Very High |
| 5 | Lincoln County | 94.3 | Relatively High |
| 6 | Deer Lodge County | 93.9 | Relatively High |
| 7 | Beaverhead County | 93.6 | Relatively High |
| 8 | Missoula County | 91.5 | Relatively High |
| 9 | Lake County | 91.4 | Relatively High |
| 10 | Ravalli County | 87 | Relatively High |
| 11 | Granite County | 86.3 | Relatively High |
| 12 | Broadwater County | 85.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 13 | Glacier County | 83.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 14 | Chouteau County | 82.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 15 | Mineral County | 82.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 16 | Teton County | 80.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 17 | Cascade County | 80.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 18 | Lewis and Clark County | 79.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 19 | Carbon County | 68.7 | Relatively Low |
| 20 | Sanders County | 67.1 | Relatively Low |
| 21 | Powell County | 64.2 | Very Low |
| 22 | Stillwater County | 61.3 | Very Low |
| 23 | Sweet Grass County | 60.7 | Very Low |
| 24 | Silver Bow County | 43 | Very Low |
| 25 | Big Horn County | 36.3 | Very Low |
| 26 | Pondera County | 27.5 | Very Low |
| 27 | Fergus County | 25 | Very Low |
| 28 | Judith Basin County | 24.7 | Very Low |
| 29 | Meagher County | 23.2 | Very Low |
| 30 | Jefferson County | 16.8 | Very Low |
| 31 | Wheatland County | 15.8 | Very Low |
| 32 | Golden Valley County | 13.2 | Very Low |
| 33 | Blaine County | 10.7 | Very Low |
| 34 | Toole County | 7 | Very Low |
| 35 | Liberty County | 6.1 | Very Low |
| 36 | Hill County | 4.5 | Very Low |
| 37 | Phillips County | 3.9 | Very Low |
| 38 | Rosebud County | 2.3 | Very Low |
| 39 | Yellowstone County | 2 | Very Low |
| 40 | Garfield County | 1.3 | Very Low |
| 41 | Powder River County | 1 | Very Low |
| 42 | Carter County | 0.4 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Avalanche risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Montana:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest avalanche risk county in Montana?
Park County, MT has the highest avalanche risk in Montana, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.6 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Montana are rated Very High for avalanche risk?
4 of 42 scored Montana counties are rated "Very High" for avalanche risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes avalanche risk in Montana?
Avalanche risk reflects expected annual losses from snow avalanche events, primarily affecting mountain counties in the West. The highest scores belong to Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Washington counties where active ski terrain, mountain highways, and communities overlap with historically active avalanche paths and high seasonal snowpack. Avalanche events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.