Tree service in Hood River County, Oregon
December is the riskiest month for trees in Hood River County: 41 of the 142 storm reports NOAA has logged since 2016 fell in December, and 80% fell between November and February.
Ranks 18 of 36 Oregon counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
80% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates ice storm as “Relatively High” here.
-1.1% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Landscaping-services establishments, Census CBP 2023.
Storm records for Hood River County
Winter carries almost the whole record here. December logged 41 reports, February 33 and January 30, and with November’s 10 that is 80% of the county’s 142 reports since 2016. Heavy snow leads at 61, winter storms add 26, and 12 ice storm reports make freezing rain a real factor in the Gorge.
Wildfire is the summer exception with 22 reports. The total ranks 18th of Oregon’s 36 counties, and the pace has eased from 53 reports in 2020 through 2022 to 39 in 2023 through 2025. One death and one injury are recorded.
The costliest entry is the September 7, 2020 east wind: strong downslope and offshore winds behind an unusually strong cold front, very dry air and dry fuels drove explosive fire growth, and NOAA attached about $1 billion in damage to the zone report.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 61 |
| Winter Storm | 26 |
| Wildfire | 22 |
| Ice Storm | 12 |
| High Wind | 11 |
| Winter Weather | 4 |
| Blizzard | 3 |
| Strong Wind | 2 |
| Hail | 1 |
On January 16, 2024, cold air from an earlier arctic outbreak was still sitting in the valley and the Gorge, and new rounds of precipitation fell into it as freezing rain and snow. NOAA logged six reports for the county from this episode, five ice storm and one winter storm, across the Upper Hood River Valley and Western Columbia River Gorge zones. It is the largest single episode in the county’s record.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: Central Columbia River Gorge I-84 Corridor; North Oregon Cascades; Upper Hood River Valley; West Columbia River Gorge I-84 Corridor; West Columbia River Gorge of Oregon above 500 ft.
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: Relatively LowIce storm: Relatively HighWinter weather: Relatively LowWildfire: Relatively Moderate
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Hood River County Relatively High for ice storms, Relatively Moderate for wildfire, Relatively Low for strong wind and winter weather, and Very Low overall. The ice rating, a score of 84.5, is the one to plan around: ice adds weight to every branch at once, and orchard and yard trees with weak forks fail first.
USDA’s Forest Service puts wildfire risk to homes higher than 97% of Oregon counties. If you live on a forested slope, pair storm pruning with defensible space work.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 97% 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
Oregon DEQ’s statewide rules, OAR 340-264, govern open burning in Hood River County; the Portland-area ban does not extend here and there is no county-specific DEQ section. Fire-season closures still apply, so check with your fire agency first. The Oregon burning guide lists the statewide conditions.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Oregon.
Source: Oregon DEQ. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
No electric utility is mapped for Hood River County on this site yet, so the outage line and clearance policy for your address are not listed. Use the name on your bill and the utilities index. In an ice storm, assume any limb resting on a line is energized and call the utility, not a tree crew.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Power (PacifiCorp) | 1-877-508-5088; text OUT to 722797 (source: https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety.html) | request page |
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; OAR 437-002-0306 (OR-OSHA). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in Hood River County
Hood River County has 23,720 residents (Census, 2025, down 1.08% since 2020) on just 522 square miles. The city of Hood River (8,315) is the largest town and Cascade Locks (1,379) the second; neither city’s tree rules have been researched yet. Ask the city about a permit before removing a street-side tree.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| Hood River | 8,315 | Ask the city |
| Cascade Locks | 1,379 | 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
BLS publishes no tree-trimmer wage for a Hood River County area, so the Oregon statewide mean of $35.40 an hour stands in. It is pay, not a price; the modeled crew rate below adds overhead and equipment. Census counted only 12 landscaping-services establishments in the county in 2023, so after an ice storm expect a wait and book planned work in summer or fall.
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).
12 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Hood River County in 2023 (Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 561730).
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
The county falls in USDA hardiness zone 7b, with 8a in the warmest ground. For replanting, ice tolerance matters more than cold hardiness: choose species with strong branch angles and keep them pruned to a single leader while young.
USDA hardiness zones 7b, 8a (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Wasco County145 storm reports since 2016
- Clackamas County198 storm reports since 2016
- Multnomah County208 storm reports since 2016
- Sherman County75 storm reports since 2016
- Marion County148 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
After an ice storm, get a risk assessment before deciding between pruning and removal, and file the claim with photos; the storm damage insurance guide explains what is covered.
Check the crew’s CCB license with 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 Hood River County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Hood River 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.
- Pacific Power (PacifiCorp) 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.