Tree service in Grant County, Oregon
Storms are rarer in Grant County than in most of Oregon, 81 NOAA reports since 2016 and 28th of 36 counties, so most tree work here is planned removal and fire prep rather than storm cleanup.
Ranks 28 of 36 Oregon counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
65% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates wildfire as “Relatively Moderate” here.
-2.2% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Storm records for Grant County
With 81 reports since 2016, Grant County sits in the bottom quarter of Oregon’s 36 counties. Heavy snow accounts for 51 of them, and January and February each logged 18, with December adding 12. Hail is a distant second at 11 reports, followed by wildfire at 6.
The pace has eased slightly, from 22 reports in 2020 through 2022 to 17 in 2023 through 2025. One death is recorded in the county’s storm data. The costliest entry is modest: a June 26, 2017 thunderstorm wind report with $2,000 in damage, from subtropical moisture that brought hail, gusts and local flooding to eastern Oregon.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 51 |
| Hail | 11 |
| Wildfire | 6 |
| High Wind | 4 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3 |
| Ice Storm | 2 |
| Winter Storm | 2 |
| Winter Weather | 1 |
| Tornado | 1 |
On June 8, 2016, a handful of rotating thunderstorms crossed the county and one of them spun up a brief tornado. A gust near 70 mph was reported 14 miles east of Mitchell, where golf-ball hail also fell. Hail up to 1.75 inches hit Monument and the area 2 miles north of it, inch-size stones fell near Ukiah, and smaller hail was reported northwest of Dayville and southeast of Spray. NOAA logged four hail reports for the county from that afternoon.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: John Day Basin; Ochoco-John Day Highlands; Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026 · NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions). Checked 2026-10-02. NOAA Storm Events 2016-2026; zone-based events assigned to every county the NWS zone covers using the zone-county correlation file in force on the event date (2019-04-02 file used for 2016-2018).
Hazard ratings
Strong wind: Very LowIce storm: Very LowWinter weather: Relatively LowWildfire: Relatively Moderate
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Grant County Very Low for strong wind and ice storms, Relatively Low for winter weather, Relatively Moderate for wildfire, and Very Low overall. The index expects little loss across 4,528 square miles with 7,075 people.
Homes tell a different story: USDA’s Forest Service puts wildfire risk to homes higher than 74% of Oregon counties. That makes thinning, limbing and removing dead pine near structures the most useful tree work here; see the defensible space guide.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 74% of Oregon counties (USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities).
What to do about wildfire exposure: defensible space in Washington and Oregon.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release · USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download). Checked 2026-10-02.
Burning the debris
Grant County uses Oregon DEQ’s statewide open-burning rules (OAR 340-264) with no county-specific DEQ section. In fire country the practical rule is the fire season closure, so check with your fire agency before burning. The Oregon burning guide has the statewide list of what may be burned.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Oregon.
Source: Oregon DEQ. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
Oregon Trail Electric Co-op serves the area; its outage line is (866) 430-4265. OTEC says it maintains clearances on overhead transmission, distribution and secondary lines, but it does not say whether that covers the service drop to your house. Ask before you pay a crew to clear it. More providers are in the utilities index.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho Power | Use the outage line on your bill or the utility’s outage page | request page |
| Oregon Trail Electric Co-op | (866) 430-4265 | request page |
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; OAR 437-002-0306 (OR-OSHA). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in Grant County
Grant County’s 7,075 residents (Census, 2025, down 2.16% since 2020) are spread thin. John Day (1,664) is the only city on our list, and its tree rules have not been researched yet; call the city before removing a tree near a street or sidewalk.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| John Day | 1,664 | Ask the city |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census. Checked 2026-10-02. Permit rules from each city’s code; see the city pages.
Labor index
No BLS tree-trimmer wage is published for a Grant County area, so this page uses the Oregon statewide mean of $35.40 an hour. It is a wage, not a quote; the modeled crew rate below adds burden and equipment. Census does not report a landscaping-business count here, so expect crews to travel and ask how mileage is billed.
Oregon statewide: $35.40 per hour mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners (BLS, May 2025); no metro estimate is published, so the statewide figure is shown. This is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour cost used on this site is $225 (method).
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013 · U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730. Checked 2026-10-02.
Climate and growing conditions
Most of the county is USDA hardiness zone 6b, but it reaches 5b in the Blue Mountains and 7a in the warmest valley bottoms. Replant for cold winters and dry summers, and space new trees away from the house with fire in mind.
USDA hardiness zones 5b, 6b, 7a (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Wheeler County94 storm reports since 2016
- Baker County42 storm reports since 2016
- Morrow County82 storm reports since 2016
- Crook County65 storm reports since 2016
- Union County143 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
Plan the work around fire season. A risk assessment sorts the dead or leaning pines that need removal from trees that only need limbing up.
Verify the contractor’s CCB license through the Oregon tree service license lookup, then call.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Oregon license lookup.
Major storms that reached Grant County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Grant County since 2016. Each storm page lists the dates, report counts and the other counties hit.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026, checked 2026-10-02.
- NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions), checked 2026-10-02.
- FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download), checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census, checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data), checked 2026-10-02.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013, checked 2026-10-02.
- Oregon DEQ, checked 2026-10-02.
- Idaho Power vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
- Oregon Trail Electric Co-op vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
Comparing quotes? Check these eight things first.
Two quotes for the same tree can differ by thousands. The gap is usually in what's included, not the cutting.
We don't vet or license anyone. These are the official lookups; each takes about a minute.
| What | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon CCB license | CCB license search | Active status, bond, insurance on file, complaints |
| Oregon LCB license | LCB verify a license | Landscape contracting license, which covers tree work |
| Washington contractor registration | L&I Verify | Registration, bond, workers' comp, lawsuits, violations |
| ISA Certified Arborist | ISA directory | Current certification and credential number |
How to read them: Oregon guide · Washington guide
Westcoast-Tree.org is an independent information site. If you call a number on this site, the call goes to a tree service that covers your area and we may be paid a referral fee by that company. We don't perform tree work and we don't vet, license or insure anyone. Cost figures are modeled estimates, not quotes (method). Not affiliated with the former Westcoast Tree Care Inc of Tumwater, WA.