Washington winter weather risk
King County has the highest winter weather risk in Washington, scoring 94.7 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | 94.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Snohomish County | 94 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Benton County | 92 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Clallam County | 91.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Spokane County | 87.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Yakima County | 85.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Pierce County | 84.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 8 | Whatcom County | 82.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 9 | Jefferson County | 81.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 10 | Chelan County | 76.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 11 | Walla Walla County | 75.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 12 | Clark County | 73.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 13 | Skagit County | 73.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Okanogan County | 71.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 15 | Grant County | 70 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Klickitat County | 64 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Stevens County | 62.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | San Juan County | 60 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Kitsap County | 59.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 20 | Douglas County | 56.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 21 | Thurston County | 56.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Kittitas County | 53.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 23 | Pend Oreille County | 52.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 24 | Cowlitz County | 49.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 25 | Mason County | 48 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 26 | Island County | 45.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 27 | Franklin County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 28 | Lewis County | 40.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 29 | Grays Harbor County | 39 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 30 | Whitman County | 27.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 31 | Skamania County | 23.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Ferry County | 22 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Lincoln County | 20.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Asotin County | 19.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Adams County | 13.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Pacific County | 13.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Columbia County | 8.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Wahkiakum County | 2.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Garfield County | 2.5 | Very Low | 0 |
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.
Winter Weather risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Washington:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest winter weather risk county in Washington?
King County, WA has the highest winter weather risk in Washington, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 94.7 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes winter weather risk in Washington?
Winter weather risk captures expected losses from heavy snow, blizzards, and mixed precipitation. Highest scores appear in the Great Lakes snowbelt, northern Rockies, and interior Northeast, where lake-effect and orographic snowfall is frequent. Winter weather impacts transportation networks, utilities, agriculture, and population health.