Alabama cold wave risk
Jefferson County has the highest cold wave risk in Alabama, scoring 98.5 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | 98.5 | Relatively High |
| 2 | Madison County | 96.6 | Relatively High |
| 3 | Limestone County | 93.8 | Relatively High |
| 4 | Lauderdale County | 93.5 | Relatively High |
| 5 | Cullman County | 93.4 | Relatively High |
| 6 | Talladega County | 90.3 | Relatively High |
| 7 | Colbert County | 88.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 8 | DeKalb County | 87.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 9 | Shelby County | 86.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 10 | Mobile County | 85.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 11 | Marshall County | 85.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 12 | Franklin County | 83.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 13 | Tuscaloosa County | 83.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 14 | Morgan County | 83.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 15 | Jackson County | 83.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 16 | Walker County | 81.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 17 | Baldwin County | 80.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 18 | Lawrence County | 79.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 19 | Etowah County | 77.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 20 | Marion County | 77.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 21 | Houston County | 76.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 22 | Calhoun County | 75.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 23 | Winston County | 67 | Relatively Moderate |
| 24 | Dale County | 63.6 | Relatively Low |
| 25 | Blount County | 63.5 | Relatively Low |
| 26 | St. Clair County | 62.4 | Relatively Low |
| 27 | Choctaw County | 61.1 | Relatively Low |
| 28 | Coffee County | 60 | Relatively Low |
| 29 | Covington County | 57.5 | Relatively Low |
| 30 | Fayette County | 55.9 | Relatively Low |
| 31 | Clarke County | 55.7 | Relatively Low |
| 32 | Geneva County | 55.4 | Relatively Low |
| 33 | Cherokee County | 53.7 | Relatively Low |
| 34 | Lamar County | 53.4 | Relatively Low |
| 35 | Chilton County | 50 | Relatively Low |
| 36 | Henry County | 49.1 | Relatively Low |
| 37 | Sumter County | 47.5 | Relatively Low |
| 38 | Tallapoosa County | 47.1 | Relatively Low |
| 39 | Clay County | 45.9 | Relatively Low |
| 40 | Marengo County | 45.3 | Relatively Low |
| 41 | Escambia County | 44.7 | Relatively Low |
| 42 | Randolph County | 44.3 | Relatively Low |
| 43 | Washington County | 43.7 | Relatively Low |
| 44 | Dallas County | 43.6 | Relatively Low |
| 45 | Monroe County | 41.7 | Relatively Low |
| 46 | Elmore County | 41.4 | Relatively Low |
| 47 | Cleburne County | 41.3 | Relatively Low |
| 48 | Pickens County | 40.3 | Relatively Low |
| 49 | Bibb County | 39.7 | Relatively Low |
| 50 | Chambers County | 38.7 | Relatively Low |
| 51 | Wilcox County | 38 | Relatively Low |
| 52 | Butler County | 37 | Relatively Low |
| 53 | Hale County | 32 | Relatively Low |
| 54 | Autauga County | 28.2 | Relatively Low |
| 55 | Crenshaw County | 27.6 | Relatively Low |
| 56 | Conecuh County | 25.9 | Relatively Low |
| 57 | Perry County | 22.5 | Very Low |
| 58 | Montgomery County | 21.7 | Very Low |
| 59 | Coosa County | 21.3 | Very Low |
| 60 | Greene County | 18.7 | Very Low |
| 61 | Lee County | 16.8 | Very Low |
| 62 | Lowndes County | 14 | Very Low |
| 63 | Barbour County | 13.8 | Very Low |
| 64 | Pike County | 13.1 | Very Low |
| 65 | Bullock County | 10.1 | Very Low |
| 66 | Russell County | 8.8 | Very Low |
| 67 | Macon County | 6.1 | 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.
Cold Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Alabama:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest cold wave risk county in Alabama?
Jefferson County, AL has the highest cold wave risk in Alabama, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.5 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes cold wave risk in Alabama?
Cold wave risk captures expected losses from extended periods of extreme cold, including wind chill. The northern Plains, Great Lakes, and interior New England see the most severe and frequent cold events. Cold extremes cause significant excess mortality, especially among unhoused populations, the elderly, and those with inadequate heating or insulation. Cold and wind chill events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.