Washington ice storm risk
Snohomish County has the highest ice storm risk in Washington, scoring 98 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snohomish County | 98 | Very High |
| 2 | Whatcom County | 97.1 | Very High |
| 3 | Spokane County | 97 | Very High |
| 4 | Skagit County | 92.2 | Relatively High |
| 5 | King County | 91.1 | Relatively High |
| 6 | Clark County | 90.5 | Relatively High |
| 7 | Walla Walla County | 89.4 | Relatively High |
| 8 | Benton County | 89.3 | Relatively High |
| 9 | Grays Harbor County | 87.6 | Relatively High |
| 10 | Pierce County | 84.4 | Relatively High |
| 11 | Klickitat County | 82.7 | Relatively High |
| 12 | Franklin County | 78.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 13 | Island County | 76 | Relatively Moderate |
| 14 | Jefferson County | 73.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 15 | Thurston County | 65.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 16 | Clallam County | 56.9 | Relatively Low |
| 17 | Yakima County | 53.6 | Relatively Low |
| 18 | Kitsap County | 48.4 | Relatively Low |
| 19 | Stevens County | 47.9 | Relatively Low |
| 20 | Columbia County | 43.3 | Relatively Low |
| 21 | Lincoln County | 40.7 | Relatively Low |
| 22 | Whitman County | 39.5 | Relatively Low |
| 23 | Lewis County | 35.6 | Relatively Low |
| 24 | Pend Oreille County | 34 | Relatively Low |
| 25 | Cowlitz County | 31.1 | Relatively Low |
| 26 | Skamania County | 29.8 | Relatively Low |
| 27 | Mason County | 26 | Very Low |
| 28 | Kittitas County | 22.6 | Very Low |
| 29 | Chelan County | 21.7 | Very Low |
| 30 | Adams County | 20.1 | Very Low |
| 31 | San Juan County | 19.1 | Very Low |
| 32 | Pacific County | 19 | Very Low |
| 33 | Wahkiakum County | 16.5 | Very Low |
| 34 | Garfield County | 15.9 | Very Low |
| 35 | Grant County | 14 | Very Low |
| 36 | Asotin County | 13.7 | Very Low |
| 37 | Okanogan County | 9 | Very Low |
| 38 | Ferry County | 5.5 | Very Low |
| 39 | Douglas County | 1.6 | 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.
Ice Storm risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Washington:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest ice storm risk county in Washington?
Snohomish County, WA has the highest ice storm risk in Washington, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Washington are rated Very High for ice storm risk?
3 of 39 scored Washington counties are rated "Very High" for ice storm risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes ice storm risk in Washington?
Ice storm risk covers damaging freezing rain and sleet accumulation, which collapses power lines, trees, and structures. The highest-risk counties cluster in a band from eastern Texas and Arkansas through the Carolinas and New England, where warm Gulf moisture overruns cold arctic air most frequently. Ice storms cause catastrophic and long-lasting power outages. Ice storm and sleet events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.