New Mexico avalanche risk
Taos County has the highest avalanche risk in New Mexico, scoring 94 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taos County | 94 | Relatively High |
| 2 | Catron County | 51.3 | Very Low |
| 3 | Sierra County | 50.3 | Very Low |
| 4 | Grant County | 49.1 | Very Low |
| 5 | Socorro County | 48.4 | Very Low |
| 6 | Rio Arriba County | 41.8 | Very Low |
| 7 | Doña Ana County | 38.6 | Very Low |
| 8 | Otero County | 37.9 | Very Low |
| 9 | Colfax County | 37.7 | Very Low |
| 10 | Lincoln County | 37.1 | Very Low |
| 11 | Sandoval County | 36.1 | Very Low |
| 12 | Hidalgo County | 33.3 | Very Low |
| 13 | Torrance County | 28.8 | Very Low |
| 14 | McKinley County | 27.3 | Very Low |
| 15 | San Juan County | 26.9 | Very Low |
| 16 | Santa Fe County | 26.8 | Very Low |
| 17 | San Miguel County | 25.7 | Very Low |
| 18 | Cibola County | 24.4 | Very Low |
| 19 | Luna County | 23.4 | Very Low |
| 20 | Mora County | 22.1 | Very Low |
| 21 | Bernalillo County | 21.1 | Very Low |
| 22 | Eddy County | 20.9 | Very Low |
| 23 | Valencia County | 16.5 | Very Low |
| 24 | Los Alamos County | 8.6 | Very Low |
| 25 | Harding County | 7.9 | Very Low |
| 26 | Quay County | 3.5 | Very Low |
| 27 | Union County | 3.2 | Very Low |
| 28 | Chaves County | 2.9 | Very Low |
| 29 | Guadalupe County | 1.2 | 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 New Mexico:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest avalanche risk county in New Mexico?
Taos County, NM has the highest avalanche risk in New Mexico, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 94 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes avalanche risk in New Mexico?
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.