Cold Wave Risk in Wisconsin
All Wisconsin counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave score
Cold Wave risk — prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures — is rated for 72 of 72 Wisconsin counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Milwaukee County carries the state's highest cold wave score at 100.0, with $177M in expected annual cold wave losses.
33 Wisconsin counties are rated High or Very High for cold wave, and expected annual losses from cold wave total roughly $806M 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 | Milwaukee County | Very High | 4.89 / yr | $177M | |
| 2 | Dane County | Very High | 5.74 / yr | $44M | |
| 3 | Marathon County | High | 8.79 / yr | $27M | |
| 4 | Kenosha County | High | 4.89 / yr | $25M | |
| 5 | Marinette County | High | 6.22 / yr | $23M | |
| 6 | Sawyer County | High | 9.05 / yr | $15M | |
| 7 | Brown County | High | 5.58 / yr | $25M | |
| 8 | Waukesha County | High | 5.32 / yr | $30M | |
| 9 | Florence County | High | 8.47 / yr | $16M | |
| 10 | La Crosse County | High | 6.95 / yr | $19M | |
| 11 | Racine County | High | 4.89 / yr | $15M | |
| 12 | Vernon County | High | 6.79 / yr | $10M | |
| 13 | Monroe County | High | 7.16 / yr | $10M | |
| 14 | Outagamie County | High | 5.74 / yr | $18M | |
| 15 | Winnebago County | High | 5.74 / yr | $14M | |
| 16 | Forest County | High | 9.05 / yr | $9M | |
| 17 | Barron County | High | 9.05 / yr | $10M | |
| 18 | Douglas County | High | 11.16 / yr | $12M | |
| 19 | Vilas County | High | 9.16 / yr | $9M | |
| 20 | Oneida County | High | 9.26 / yr | $11M | |
| 21 | Wood County | High | 8.37 / yr | $12M | |
| 22 | Rock County | High | 5.37 / yr | $13M | |
| 23 | Eau Claire County | High | 8.42 / yr | $13M | |
| 24 | Shawano County | High | 6.74 / yr | $11M | |
| 25 | Langlade County | High | 9.32 / yr | $8M | |
| 26 | Clark County | High | 8.68 / yr | $6M | |
| 27 | Waupaca County | High | 6.58 / yr | $7M | |
| 28 | Fond du Lac County | High | 5.84 / yr | $10M | |
| 29 | Adams County | High | 6.79 / yr | $5M | |
| 30 | Polk County | High | 9.47 / yr | $7M | |
| 31 | Washington County | High | 5.42 / yr | $13M | |
| 32 | Lincoln County | High | 9.37 / yr | $8M | |
| 33 | Chippewa County | High | 8.58 / yr | $8M | |
| 34 | Walworth County | Medium | 5.47 / yr | $7M | |
| 35 | Ashland County | Medium | 8.99 / yr | $5M | |
| 36 | Portage County | Medium | 8.16 / yr | $9M | |
| 37 | Dodge County | Medium | 5.68 / yr | $7M | |
| 38 | Sheboygan County | Medium | 5.63 / yr | $7M | |
| 39 | Marquette County | Medium | 6.21 / yr | $5M | |
| 40 | Oconto County | Medium | 6.01 / yr | $6M | |
| 41 | Bayfield County | Medium | 9.47 / yr | $5M | |
| 42 | Sauk County | Medium | 5.89 / yr | $6M | |
| 43 | Manitowoc County | Medium | 5.37 / yr | $6M | |
| 44 | Door County | Medium | 5.11 / yr | $5M | |
| 45 | Jefferson County | Medium | 5.47 / yr | $6M | |
| 46 | Juneau County | Medium | 6.79 / yr | $4M | |
| 47 | Washburn County | Medium | 9.58 / yr | $5M | |
| 48 | Rusk County | Medium | 8.74 / yr | $4M | |
| 49 | Price County | Medium | 8.79 / yr | $4M | |
| 50 | Lafayette County | Medium | 5.79 / yr | $5M | |
| 51 | Burnett County | Medium | 10.05 / yr | $3M | |
| 52 | Columbia County | Medium | 5.95 / yr | $5M | |
| 53 | Ozaukee County | Medium | 5.26 / yr | $9M | |
| 54 | Green County | Medium | 5.74 / yr | $5M | |
| 55 | Grant County | Medium | 6.26 / yr | $4M | |
| 56 | Taylor County | Medium | 8.74 / yr | $4M | |
| 57 | Jackson County | Medium | 7.95 / yr | $3M | |
| 58 | Trempealeau County | Medium | 7.84 / yr | $3M | |
| 59 | Dunn County | Medium | 8.84 / yr | $5M | |
| 60 | Green Lake County | Medium | 6.26 / yr | $2M | |
| 61 | Waushara County | Medium | 6.53 / yr | $3M | |
| 62 | St. Croix County | Medium | 9.05 / yr | $4M | |
| 63 | Richland County | Medium | 6.37 / yr | $2M | |
| 64 | Iron County | Medium | 8.90 / yr | $2M | |
| 65 | Menominee County | Medium | 6.84 / yr | $1M | |
| 66 | Calumet County | Medium | 5.68 / yr | $4M | |
| 67 | Kewaunee County | Medium | 5.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 68 | Crawford County | Medium | 6.42 / yr | $2M | |
| 69 | Iowa County | Low | 5.84 / yr | $2M | |
| 70 | Pierce County | Low | 8.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 71 | Buffalo County | Low | 7.79 / yr | $1M | |
| 72 | Pepin County | Low | 8.32 / yr | $553K |
72 Wisconsin counties with measurable cold wave risk. See the national cold wave ranking or all Wisconsin counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Wisconsin county has the highest cold wave risk?
Milwaukee County has the highest FEMA cold wave risk score in Wisconsin at 100.0 (Very High), with $177M in expected annual losses and about 4.89 events per year.
How many Wisconsin counties face significant cold wave risk?
72 Wisconsin counties record measurable cold wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 33 of them are rated High or Very High.