10,027
Recorded events
39
Counties covered
258
Direct deaths
$4.5B
Property damage
Washington severe weather history covers 10,027 recorded events across 39 counties between 1954 and 2026.
The Washington severe weather history record is dominated by heavy snow, which accounts for 32.0% of everything logged statewide across 0 counties. Statewide, recorded events have caused 258 direct deaths since 1950.
By hazard type
Washington severe weather history by hazard
| Hazard | Events | Counties | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 3,207 | 0 | 7 | $67.3M | 1996–2026 |
| High Wind | 1,790 | 0 | 40 | $1.3B | 1996–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 624 | 33 | 5 | $21.2M | 1955–2026 |
| Flood | 589 | 38 | 10 | $602.6M | 1996–2026 |
| Wildfire | 539 | 14 | 8 | $2.1B | 1997–2025 |
| Winter Weather | 411 | 0 | 4 | $7.7M | 1996–2026 |
| Hail | 395 | 31 | 0 | $10.6M | 1955–2024 |
| Strong Wind | 316 | 2 | 20 | $27.2M | 1999–2026 |
| Winter Storm | 282 | 0 | 4 | $5.0M | 1998–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 239 | 36 | 2 | $228.9M | 1996–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 202 | 21 | 2 | $20.2M | 1996–2026 |
| Debris Flow | 184 | 19 | 48 | $112.7M | 1997–2024 |
| Heat | 159 | 0 | 1 | $0 | 2002–2025 |
| Tornado | 138 | 28 | 6 | $31.0M | 1954–2024 |
| Ice Storm | 127 | 0 | 3 | $10.7M | 1996–2024 |
| Lightning | 106 | 28 | 2 | $3.2M | 1996–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 97 | 25 | 0 | $2K | 1996–2025 |
| Excessive Heat | 97 | 0 | 13 | $2K | 2008–2024 |
| Dust Storm | 96 | 0 | 2 | $742K | 1999–2026 |
| Avalanche | 66 | 0 | 54 | $2.1M | 1996–2026 |
| Frost/Freeze | 54 | 0 | 1 | $20K | 2003–2025 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 54 | 0 | 9 | $0 | 1996–2024 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 44 | 0 | 1 | $0 | 2002–2022 |
| Coastal Flood | 41 | 0 | 0 | $9.8M | 2006–2025 |
| Drought | 40 | 0 | 0 | $12.0M | 1999–2005 |
| Blizzard | 32 | 0 | 3 | $2.2M | 1996–2026 |
| Dense Smoke | 26 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2017–2020 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 15 | 2 | 0 | $2.0M | 1999–2012 |
| High Surf | 10 | 0 | 4 | $5.0M | 1997–2022 |
| Freezing Fog | 10 | 0 | 1 | $2.0M | 2009–2024 |
| Dense Fog | 8 | 0 | 1 | $390K | 1997–2018 |
| Dust Devil | 8 | 7 | 0 | $6K | 1999–2019 |
| Astronomical Low Tide | 8 | 0 | 0 | $935K | 2015–2022 |
| Rip Current | 8 | 0 | 7 | $0 | 2007–2021 |
| Waterspout | 2 | 2 | 0 | $0 | 1997–1998 |
| Tsunami | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2022–2022 |
| Sleet | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2007–2007 |
| Volcanic Ash | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2005–2005 |
County index
Most active counties
| County | Events | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane County | 249 | 0 |
| Okanogan County | 231 | 5 |
| Chelan County | 169 | 1 |
| Whitman County | 124 | 0 |
| Yakima County | 117 | 0 |
| Stevens County | 117 | 0 |
| Walla Walla County | 90 | 0 |
| Benton County | 88 | 0 |
| Pend Oreille County | 87 | 2 |
| Ferry County | 84 | 0 |
| Grant County | 82 | 0 |
| King County | 82 | 2 |
| Lincoln County | 81 | 0 |
| Clark County | 71 | 6 |
| Cowlitz County | 59 | 0 |
| Snohomish County | 53 | 44 |
| Douglas County | 50 | 0 |
| Asotin County | 47 | 0 |
| Wahkiakum County | 47 | 0 |
| Franklin County | 45 | 1 |
| Kittitas County | 41 | 0 |
| Adams County | 38 | 1 |
| Pierce County | 34 | 0 |
| Grays Harbor County | 31 | 3 |
| Thurston County | 28 | 0 |
Full index
Every county in Washington
- Spokane County
- Okanogan County
- Chelan County
- Whitman County
- Yakima County
- Stevens County
- Walla Walla County
- Benton County
- Pend Oreille County
- Ferry County
- Grant County
- King County
- Lincoln County
- Clark County
- Cowlitz County
- Snohomish County
- Douglas County
- Asotin County
- Wahkiakum County
- Franklin County
- Kittitas County
- Adams County
- Pierce County
- Grays Harbor County
- Thurston County
- Klickitat County
- Pacific County
- Columbia County
- Garfield County
- Clallam County
- Whatcom County
- Lewis County
- Kitsap County
- Mason County
- Jefferson County
- Skagit County
- Skamania County
- Island County
- San Juan County
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events are recorded in Washington?
10,027 events are on record across Washington, covering 39 counties between 1954 and 2026.
Which county in Washington has the most severe weather on record?
Spokane County leads Washington with 249 recorded events. Ranking reflects reported events, so densely populated counties tend to report more than sparsely populated ones.
Where does the Washington severe weather history data come from?
Totals are aggregated from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of United States severe weather reports, with FEMA and U.S. Census records providing risk and population context. Dates are UTC and recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Washington Severe Weather History.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/state/washington/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.