Winter Weather Risk in Minnesota
All Minnesota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index winter weather score
Winter Weather risk — heavy snow, blizzards, and hazardous winter conditions — is rated for 87 of 87 Minnesota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. St. Louis County carries the state's highest winter weather score at 98.0, with $1M in expected annual winter weather losses.
14 Minnesota counties are rated High or Very High for winter weather, and expected annual losses from winter weather total roughly $20M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Winter Weather
| # | County | Winter Weather Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | Very High | 17.56 / yr | $1M | |
| 2 | Otter Tail County | Very High | 20.43 / yr | $1M | |
| 3 | Hennepin County | Very High | 16.58 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Clay County | High | 24.42 / yr | $1M | |
| 5 | Blue Earth County | High | 20.95 / yr | $610K | |
| 6 | Stearns County | High | 18.47 / yr | $558K | |
| 7 | Ramsey County | High | 16.53 / yr | $532K | |
| 8 | Polk County | High | 22.66 / yr | $481K | |
| 9 | Dakota County | High | 17.79 / yr | $771K | |
| 10 | Douglas County | High | 18.59 / yr | $533K | |
| 11 | Nobles County | High | 20.89 / yr | $363K | |
| 12 | Becker County | High | 19.82 / yr | $391K | |
| 13 | Martin County | High | 21.68 / yr | $346K | |
| 14 | Lyon County | High | 21.53 / yr | $479K | |
| 15 | Beltrami County | Medium | 17.11 / yr | $247K | |
| 16 | Anoka County | Medium | 16.74 / yr | $463K | |
| 17 | Olmsted County | Medium | 19.63 / yr | $474K | |
| 18 | Lake County | Medium | 24.50 / yr | $242K | |
| 19 | Brown County | Medium | 21.63 / yr | $341K | |
| 20 | Redwood County | Medium | 21.53 / yr | $229K | |
| 21 | Faribault County | Medium | 21.37 / yr | $198K | |
| 22 | Nicollet County | Medium | 21.11 / yr | $255K | |
| 23 | Roseau County | Medium | 18.53 / yr | $228K | |
| 24 | Freeborn County | Medium | 20.74 / yr | $203K | |
| 25 | Cottonwood County | Medium | 21.74 / yr | $182K | |
| 26 | Renville County | Medium | 20.79 / yr | $189K | |
| 27 | Cass County | Medium | 17.10 / yr | $150K | |
| 28 | Mower County | Medium | 19.37 / yr | $185K | |
| 29 | Pennington County | Medium | 20.00 / yr | $215K | |
| 30 | Washington County | Medium | 17.37 / yr | $319K | |
| 31 | Watonwan County | Medium | 22.00 / yr | $171K | |
| 32 | Murray County | Medium | 21.79 / yr | $172K | |
| 33 | Pipestone County | Medium | 20.74 / yr | $216K | |
| 34 | Yellow Medicine County | Medium | 21.00 / yr | $170K | |
| 35 | Jackson County | Medium | 20.74 / yr | $197K | |
| 36 | Rice County | Medium | 19.47 / yr | $164K | |
| 37 | Chippewa County | Medium | 20.37 / yr | $137K | |
| 38 | Hubbard County | Medium | 17.53 / yr | $155K | |
| 39 | Wright County | Medium | 17.11 / yr | $269K | |
| 40 | Kandiyohi County | Medium | 19.53 / yr | $143K | |
| 41 | Pope County | Medium | 19.79 / yr | $150K | |
| 42 | Lincoln County | Medium | 21.37 / yr | $136K | |
| 43 | Marshall County | Medium | 20.79 / yr | $148K | |
| 44 | Swift County | Medium | 20.21 / yr | $116K | |
| 45 | Norman County | Medium | 23.69 / yr | $109K | |
| 46 | Rock County | Medium | 18.42 / yr | $160K | |
| 47 | Winona County | Medium | 17.74 / yr | $115K | |
| 48 | Scott County | Medium | 17.47 / yr | $194K | |
| 49 | Wadena County | Medium | 17.12 / yr | $96K | |
| 50 | Lac qui Parle County | Medium | 20.42 / yr | $101K | |
| 51 | Meeker County | Medium | 18.05 / yr | $131K | |
| 52 | Big Stone County | Medium | 20.58 / yr | $99K | |
| 53 | Stevens County | Medium | 20.21 / yr | $161K | |
| 54 | McLeod County | Medium | 18.11 / yr | $111K | |
| 55 | Wilkin County | Medium | 23.90 / yr | $139K | |
| 56 | Itasca County | Low | 18.35 / yr | $79K | |
| 57 | Crow Wing County | Low | 17.37 / yr | $91K | |
| 58 | Waseca County | Low | 20.68 / yr | $90K | |
| 59 | Traverse County | Low | 20.53 / yr | $85K | |
| 60 | Mahnomen County | Low | 19.95 / yr | $47K | |
| 61 | Cook County | Low | 24.83 / yr | $61K | |
| 62 | Grant County | Low | 21.32 / yr | $115K | |
| 63 | Sherburne County | Low | 16.79 / yr | $117K | |
| 64 | Clearwater County | Low | 17.50 / yr | $69K | |
| 65 | Goodhue County | Low | 18.47 / yr | $122K | |
| 66 | Carver County | Low | 17.32 / yr | $125K | |
| 67 | Carlton County | Low | 23.79 / yr | $65K | |
| 68 | Kittson County | Low | 21.90 / yr | $102K | |
| 69 | Koochiching County | Low | 16.53 / yr | $47K | |
| 70 | Benton County | Low | 16.89 / yr | $58K | |
| 71 | Steele County | Low | 20.47 / yr | $96K | |
| 72 | Chisago County | Low | 17.16 / yr | $82K | |
| 73 | Fillmore County | Low | 19.42 / yr | $52K | |
| 74 | Sibley County | Low | 19.37 / yr | $83K | |
| 75 | Wabasha County | Low | 17.74 / yr | $44K | |
| 76 | Le Sueur County | Low | 19.16 / yr | $63K | |
| 77 | Todd County | Low | 17.11 / yr | $31K | |
| 78 | Pine County | Low | 18.58 / yr | $31K | |
| 79 | Dodge County | Low | 19.84 / yr | $50K | |
| 80 | Houston County | Low | 17.47 / yr | $42K | |
| 81 | Red Lake County | Low | 19.95 / yr | $45K | |
| 82 | Morrison County | Low | 16.26 / yr | $30K | |
| 83 | Mille Lacs County | Low | 16.95 / yr | $29K | |
| 84 | Isanti County | Low | 16.84 / yr | $40K | |
| 85 | Lake of the Woods County | Low | 15.90 / yr | $43K | |
| 86 | Aitkin County | Very Low | 17.89 / yr | $15K | |
| 87 | Kanabec County | Very Low | 17.21 / yr | $18K |
87 Minnesota counties with measurable winter weather risk. See the national winter weather ranking or all Minnesota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest winter weather risk?
St. Louis County has the highest FEMA winter weather risk score in Minnesota at 98.0 (Very High), with $1M in expected annual losses and about 17.56 events per year.
How many Minnesota counties face significant winter weather risk?
87 Minnesota counties record measurable winter weather risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 14 of them are rated High or Very High.