Arkansas cold wave risk
Craighead County has the highest cold wave risk in Arkansas, scoring 93.6 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craighead County | 93.6 | Relatively High |
| 2 | Boone County | 87.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 3 | Sebastian County | 86.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 4 | Pulaski County | 84.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 5 | Randolph County | 84.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 6 | Washington County | 83.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 7 | Clay County | 81.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 8 | Benton County | 81 | Relatively Moderate |
| 9 | Crittenden County | 75.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 10 | Carroll County | 75 | Relatively Moderate |
| 11 | Baxter County | 72.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 12 | Independence County | 72.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 13 | Sharp County | 71.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 14 | Marion County | 69.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 15 | Poinsett County | 68.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 16 | Mississippi County | 68 | Relatively Moderate |
| 17 | Crawford County | 64.1 | Relatively Low |
| 18 | Lawrence County | 63.4 | Relatively Low |
| 19 | Fulton County | 62.9 | Relatively Low |
| 20 | Izard County | 60.6 | Relatively Low |
| 21 | Jackson County | 59.4 | Relatively Low |
| 22 | St. Francis County | 52.9 | Relatively Low |
| 23 | Faulkner County | 51.4 | Relatively Low |
| 24 | Pope County | 51.1 | Relatively Low |
| 25 | Phillips County | 49.7 | Relatively Low |
| 26 | Saline County | 48.7 | Relatively Low |
| 27 | White County | 48 | Relatively Low |
| 28 | Stone County | 46.5 | Relatively Low |
| 29 | Chicot County | 46.3 | Relatively Low |
| 30 | Franklin County | 45.8 | Relatively Low |
| 31 | Garland County | 45.6 | Relatively Low |
| 32 | Greene County | 45.4 | Relatively Low |
| 33 | Lonoke County | 44.5 | Relatively Low |
| 34 | Johnson County | 43.6 | Relatively Low |
| 35 | Newton County | 43 | Relatively Low |
| 36 | Jefferson County | 42.8 | Relatively Low |
| 37 | Logan County | 42 | Relatively Low |
| 38 | Madison County | 41.7 | Relatively Low |
| 39 | Arkansas County | 39.3 | Relatively Low |
| 40 | Miller County | 38.5 | Relatively Low |
| 41 | Yell County | 38.5 | Relatively Low |
| 42 | Ashley County | 38.3 | Relatively Low |
| 43 | Conway County | 37.2 | Relatively Low |
| 44 | Cross County | 36.3 | Relatively Low |
| 45 | Searcy County | 36.3 | Relatively Low |
| 46 | Cleburne County | 32.3 | Relatively Low |
| 47 | Sevier County | 31.8 | Relatively Low |
| 48 | Van Buren County | 31.3 | Relatively Low |
| 49 | Lee County | 30 | Relatively Low |
| 50 | Polk County | 28.5 | Relatively Low |
| 51 | Scott County | 27.3 | Relatively Low |
| 52 | Drew County | 25.8 | Relatively Low |
| 53 | Desha County | 25.2 | Relatively Low |
| 54 | Howard County | 24.8 | Relatively Low |
| 55 | Prairie County | 22.4 | Very Low |
| 56 | Union County | 21.2 | Very Low |
| 57 | Monroe County | 20.9 | Very Low |
| 58 | Montgomery County | 18.2 | Very Low |
| 59 | Lincoln County | 18 | Very Low |
| 60 | Columbia County | 17.5 | Very Low |
| 61 | Woodruff County | 14.9 | Very Low |
| 62 | Hot Spring County | 14.7 | Very Low |
| 63 | Perry County | 14.6 | Very Low |
| 64 | Grant County | 12.7 | Very Low |
| 65 | Clark County | 12.4 | Very Low |
| 66 | Hempstead County | 12.4 | Very Low |
| 67 | Pike County | 12.3 | Very Low |
| 68 | Bradley County | 11.6 | Very Low |
| 69 | Lafayette County | 10.8 | Very Low |
| 70 | Little River County | 9.9 | Very Low |
| 71 | Ouachita County | 9.2 | Very Low |
| 72 | Nevada County | 7.7 | Very Low |
| 73 | Cleveland County | 7.2 | Very Low |
| 74 | Calhoun County | 4.8 | Very Low |
| 75 | Dallas County | 4.8 | 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 Arkansas:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest cold wave risk county in Arkansas?
Craighead County, AR has the highest cold wave risk in Arkansas, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 93.6 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes cold wave risk in Arkansas?
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.