Cold Wave Risk in Minnesota
All Minnesota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave score
Cold Wave risk — prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures — is rated for 87 of 87 Minnesota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Hennepin County carries the state's highest cold wave score at 99.8, with $102M in expected annual cold wave losses.
12 Minnesota counties are rated High or Very High for cold wave, and expected annual losses from cold wave total roughly $471M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Cold Wave
| # | County | Cold Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennepin County | Very High | 8.95 / yr | $102M | |
| 2 | St. Louis County | Very High | 14.89 / yr | $51M | |
| 3 | Ramsey County | Very High | 8.84 / yr | $43M | |
| 4 | Carlton County | High | 15.74 / yr | $18M | |
| 5 | Itasca County | High | 17.37 / yr | $13M | |
| 6 | Blue Earth County | High | 10.84 / yr | $10M | |
| 7 | Olmsted County | High | 10.05 / yr | $17M | |
| 8 | Otter Tail County | High | 15.13 / yr | $7M | |
| 9 | Crow Wing County | High | 14.27 / yr | $8M | |
| 10 | Polk County | High | 20.77 / yr | $7M | |
| 11 | Dakota County | High | 8.89 / yr | $12M | |
| 12 | Brown County | High | 11.21 / yr | $10M | |
| 13 | Pine County | Medium | 11.26 / yr | $6M | |
| 14 | Washington County | Medium | 8.84 / yr | $10M | |
| 15 | Stearns County | Medium | 12.74 / yr | $6M | |
| 16 | Clay County | Medium | 18.42 / yr | $7M | |
| 17 | Cass County | Medium | 15.67 / yr | $4M | |
| 18 | Aitkin County | Medium | 14.31 / yr | $4M | |
| 19 | Lake County | Medium | 17.83 / yr | $4M | |
| 20 | Kandiyohi County | Medium | 12.32 / yr | $4M | |
| 21 | Scott County | Medium | 9.53 / yr | $7M | |
| 22 | Winona County | Medium | 8.32 / yr | $4M | |
| 23 | Beltrami County | Medium | 17.09 / yr | $3M | |
| 24 | Douglas County | Medium | 13.90 / yr | $4M | |
| 25 | Rice County | Medium | 9.63 / yr | $4M | |
| 26 | McLeod County | Medium | 10.74 / yr | $4M | |
| 27 | Nobles County | Medium | 11.95 / yr | $2M | |
| 28 | Martin County | Medium | 11.05 / yr | $2M | |
| 29 | Carver County | Medium | 9.84 / yr | $5M | |
| 30 | Nicollet County | Medium | 10.89 / yr | $3M | |
| 31 | Koochiching County | Medium | 18.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 32 | Lyon County | Medium | 12.58 / yr | $4M | |
| 33 | Renville County | Medium | 11.84 / yr | $2M | |
| 34 | Anoka County | Medium | 9.21 / yr | $4M | |
| 35 | Redwood County | Medium | 11.84 / yr | $2M | |
| 36 | Cottonwood County | Medium | 12.37 / yr | $2M | |
| 37 | Chippewa County | Medium | 12.68 / yr | $2M | |
| 38 | Watonwan County | Medium | 11.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 39 | Faribault County | Medium | 10.58 / yr | $2M | |
| 40 | Fillmore County | Medium | 9.95 / yr | $2M | |
| 41 | Kanabec County | Medium | 11.27 / yr | $2M | |
| 42 | Benton County | Medium | 12.42 / yr | $2M | |
| 43 | Swift County | Low | 13.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 44 | Houston County | Low | 7.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 45 | Freeborn County | Low | 10.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 46 | Lac qui Parle County | Low | 12.26 / yr | $2M | |
| 47 | Waseca County | Low | 10.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 48 | Marshall County | Low | 21.54 / yr | $2M | |
| 49 | Mille Lacs County | Low | 11.95 / yr | $2M | |
| 50 | Big Stone County | Low | 14.00 / yr | $2M | |
| 51 | Cook County | Low | 17.74 / yr | $1M | |
| 52 | Chisago County | Low | 9.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 53 | Norman County | Low | 19.69 / yr | $1M | |
| 54 | Jackson County | Low | 12.05 / yr | $2M | |
| 55 | Yellow Medicine County | Low | 12.00 / yr | $1M | |
| 56 | Pope County | Low | 13.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 57 | Morrison County | Low | 12.89 / yr | $2M | |
| 58 | Mower County | Low | 10.16 / yr | $1M | |
| 59 | Meeker County | Low | 11.58 / yr | $2M | |
| 60 | Hubbard County | Low | 15.43 / yr | $1M | |
| 61 | Roseau County | Low | 21.21 / yr | $1M | |
| 62 | Steele County | Low | 10.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 63 | Becker County | Low | 16.58 / yr | $1M | |
| 64 | Sibley County | Low | 10.89 / yr | $2M | |
| 65 | Sherburne County | Low | 10.84 / yr | $2M | |
| 66 | Stevens County | Low | 13.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 67 | Pipestone County | Low | 11.68 / yr | $1M | |
| 68 | Mahnomen County | Low | 18.90 / yr | $542K | |
| 69 | Lincoln County | Low | 12.58 / yr | $904K | |
| 70 | Todd County | Low | 13.53 / yr | $787K | |
| 71 | Goodhue County | Low | 9.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 72 | Murray County | Low | 12.47 / yr | $862K | |
| 73 | Wright County | Low | 10.42 / yr | $2M | |
| 74 | Wabasha County | Low | 8.79 / yr | $899K | |
| 75 | Le Sueur County | Low | 10.16 / yr | $1M | |
| 76 | Pennington County | Low | 20.64 / yr | $815K | |
| 77 | Traverse County | Low | 14.16 / yr | $699K | |
| 78 | Wilkin County | Low | 16.47 / yr | $999K | |
| 79 | Dodge County | Low | 10.05 / yr | $1M | |
| 80 | Wadena County | Low | 14.64 / yr | $608K | |
| 81 | Rock County | Low | 9.74 / yr | $865K | |
| 82 | Isanti County | Low | 10.37 / yr | $1M | |
| 83 | Grant County | Low | 14.48 / yr | $980K | |
| 84 | Clearwater County | Low | 17.58 / yr | $553K | |
| 85 | Kittson County | Low | 22.37 / yr | $916K | |
| 86 | Red Lake County | Low | 20.53 / yr | $524K | |
| 87 | Lake of the Woods County | Very Low | 17.63 / yr | $330K |
87 Minnesota counties with measurable cold wave risk. See the national cold wave ranking or all Minnesota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest cold wave risk?
Hennepin County has the highest FEMA cold wave risk score in Minnesota at 99.8 (Very High), with $102M in expected annual losses and about 8.95 events per year.
How many Minnesota counties face significant cold wave risk?
87 Minnesota counties record measurable cold wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 12 of them are rated High or Very High.