Winter Weather Risk in South Dakota
All South Dakota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index winter weather score
Winter Weather risk — heavy snow, blizzards, and hazardous winter conditions — is rated for 66 of 66 South Dakota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Brown County carries the state's highest winter weather score at 98.2, with $2M in expected annual winter weather losses.
13 South Dakota counties are rated High or Very High for winter weather, and expected annual losses from winter weather total roughly $15M 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 | Brown County | Very High | 20.11 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Minnehaha County | High | 17.63 / yr | $1M | |
| 3 | Lincoln County | High | 17.84 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Pennington County | High | 17.22 / yr | $657K | |
| 5 | Meade County | High | 15.81 / yr | $749K | |
| 6 | Codington County | High | 22.47 / yr | $594K | |
| 7 | Brookings County | High | 21.00 / yr | $739K | |
| 8 | Yankton County | High | 15.84 / yr | $414K | |
| 9 | Lawrence County | High | 24.60 / yr | $397K | |
| 10 | Todd County | High | 15.27 / yr | $199K | |
| 11 | Roberts County | High | 22.95 / yr | $257K | |
| 12 | Davison County | High | 15.84 / yr | $366K | |
| 13 | Dewey County | High | 16.58 / yr | $159K | |
| 14 | Day County | Medium | 22.58 / yr | $217K | |
| 15 | Charles Mix County | Medium | 15.47 / yr | $225K | |
| 16 | Beadle County | Medium | 17.37 / yr | $275K | |
| 17 | Lake County | Medium | 19.05 / yr | $266K | |
| 18 | Walworth County | Medium | 17.95 / yr | $196K | |
| 19 | McCook County | Medium | 16.58 / yr | $358K | |
| 20 | Tripp County | Medium | 14.95 / yr | $159K | |
| 21 | Marshall County | Medium | 22.58 / yr | $216K | |
| 22 | Union County | Medium | 15.42 / yr | $256K | |
| 23 | Moody County | Medium | 19.05 / yr | $180K | |
| 24 | Corson County | Medium | 16.95 / yr | $108K | |
| 25 | Hutchinson County | Medium | 16.00 / yr | $221K | |
| 26 | McPherson County | Medium | 18.63 / yr | $128K | |
| 27 | Edmunds County | Medium | 19.11 / yr | $231K | |
| 28 | Brule County | Medium | 15.53 / yr | $134K | |
| 29 | Turner County | Medium | 16.74 / yr | $185K | |
| 30 | Clay County | Medium | 15.42 / yr | $224K | |
| 31 | Fall River County | Medium | 13.37 / yr | $92K | |
| 32 | Lyman County | Medium | 16.42 / yr | $86K | |
| 33 | Hughes County | Medium | 16.47 / yr | $197K | |
| 34 | Jackson County | Medium | 15.73 / yr | $67K | |
| 35 | Butte County | Medium | 16.48 / yr | $125K | |
| 36 | Oglala Lakota County | Medium | 15.17 / yr | $59K | |
| 37 | Gregory County | Medium | 15.37 / yr | $131K | |
| 38 | Ziebach County | Medium | 14.63 / yr | $54K | |
| 39 | Spink County | Medium | 20.84 / yr | $146K | |
| 40 | Custer County | Low | 15.06 / yr | $127K | |
| 41 | Mellette County | Low | 14.58 / yr | $54K | |
| 42 | Bon Homme County | Low | 14.89 / yr | $128K | |
| 43 | Grant County | Low | 23.21 / yr | $134K | |
| 44 | Hanson County | Low | 15.21 / yr | $62K | |
| 45 | Douglas County | Low | 15.74 / yr | $102K | |
| 46 | Bennett County | Low | 15.16 / yr | $47K | |
| 47 | Potter County | Low | 17.63 / yr | $90K | |
| 48 | Aurora County | Low | 16.11 / yr | $85K | |
| 49 | Faulk County | Low | 19.37 / yr | $49K | |
| 50 | Deuel County | Low | 23.11 / yr | $108K | |
| 51 | Perkins County | Low | 15.78 / yr | $92K | |
| 52 | Buffalo County | Low | 16.63 / yr | $49K | |
| 53 | Sully County | Low | 16.53 / yr | $96K | |
| 54 | Campbell County | Low | 18.26 / yr | $92K | |
| 55 | Hamlin County | Low | 21.84 / yr | $90K | |
| 56 | Stanley County | Low | 16.32 / yr | $84K | |
| 57 | Kingsbury County | Low | 18.58 / yr | $98K | |
| 58 | Haakon County | Low | 15.05 / yr | $50K | |
| 59 | Harding County | Low | 15.63 / yr | $65K | |
| 60 | Jerauld County | Low | 16.05 / yr | $43K | |
| 61 | Clark County | Low | 22.00 / yr | $67K | |
| 62 | Jones County | Low | 16.05 / yr | $61K | |
| 63 | Sanborn County | Low | 16.58 / yr | $61K | |
| 64 | Hand County | Low | 17.95 / yr | $52K | |
| 65 | Miner County | Low | 17.63 / yr | $74K | |
| 66 | Hyde County | Low | 17.32 / yr | $21K |
66 South Dakota counties with measurable winter weather risk. See the national winter weather ranking or all South Dakota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which South Dakota county has the highest winter weather risk?
Brown County has the highest FEMA winter weather risk score in South Dakota at 98.2 (Very High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 20.11 events per year.
How many South Dakota counties face significant winter weather risk?
66 South Dakota counties record measurable winter weather risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 13 of them are rated High or Very High.