Washington avalanche risk
King County has the highest avalanche risk in Washington, scoring 99.3 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | 99.3 | Very High |
| 2 | Pierce County | 98.4 | Very High |
| 3 | Whatcom County | 98.2 | Very High |
| 4 | Kittitas County | 97.7 | Very High |
| 5 | Chelan County | 95.2 | Very High |
| 6 | Yakima County | 94.9 | Very High |
| 7 | Okanogan County | 89.8 | Relatively High |
| 8 | Lewis County | 88 | Relatively High |
| 9 | Snohomish County | 87.4 | Relatively High |
| 10 | Spokane County | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 11 | Skagit County | 78.2 | Relatively Low |
| 12 | Klickitat County | 73.8 | Relatively Low |
| 13 | Asotin County | 70.8 | Relatively Low |
| 14 | Columbia County | 69.2 | Relatively Low |
| 15 | Lincoln County | 63.6 | Very Low |
| 16 | Douglas County | 61.5 | Very Low |
| 17 | Garfield County | 61 | Very Low |
| 18 | Grant County | 59.2 | Very Low |
| 19 | Jefferson County | 58.2 | Very Low |
| 20 | Clallam County | 50.4 | Very Low |
| 21 | Whitman County | 46.2 | Very Low |
| 22 | Skamania County | 45.8 | Very Low |
| 23 | Stevens County | 42.4 | Very Low |
| 24 | Pend Oreille County | 42 | Very Low |
| 25 | Mason County | 41.4 | Very Low |
| 26 | Walla Walla County | 40.6 | Very Low |
| 27 | Ferry County | 35.7 | Very Low |
| 28 | Grays Harbor County | 35.4 | Very Low |
| 29 | Benton County | 33.8 | Very Low |
| 30 | Cowlitz County | 23.5 | Very Low |
| 31 | Franklin County | 22.5 | Very Low |
| 32 | Pacific County | 17.3 | Very Low |
| 33 | Clark County | 12.4 | Very Low |
| 34 | Wahkiakum County | 8.3 | Very Low |
| 35 | Thurston County | 5.8 | Very Low |
| 36 | Island County | 3.8 | Very Low |
| 37 | Kitsap County | 0.6 | 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 Washington:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest avalanche risk county in Washington?
King County, WA has the highest avalanche risk in Washington, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.3 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Washington are rated Very High for avalanche risk?
6 of 37 scored Washington counties are rated "Very High" for avalanche risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes avalanche risk in Washington?
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.