Tree service in Lake County, Oregon
High wind makes up 117 of Lake County’s 204 NOAA storm reports since 2016, and that total ranks sixth of Oregon’s 36 counties despite a population of just 8,187.
Ranks 6 of 36 Oregon counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
51% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates winter weather as “Relatively Moderate” here.
+0.3% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Storm records for Lake County
Wind is the story in Lake County. Of 204 storm reports NOAA logged since 2016, 117 are high wind, more than half the record and more than twice the next type, wildfire at 46. Winter storms add 26 and heavy snow 9. That total ranks sixth of Oregon’s 36 counties, a striking figure for a county of 8,187 people.
The wind blows year-round but peaks in winter: 31 reports in January, 25 in each of February and December, and 24 in November. Even June, the quietest month, has 5. Year to year the count swings widely, from 9 in 2019 and 2025 to 34 in 2021, and 2023 through 2025 (57) ran below 2020 through 2022 (77).
NOAA’s record also carries one death and one injury. Wind-thrown trees across fences, outbuildings and long driveways are the typical job.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| High Wind | 117 |
| Wildfire | 46 |
| Winter Storm | 26 |
| Heavy Snow | 9 |
| Winter Weather | 3 |
| Hail | 2 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1 |
The episode with the most reports came early in the record. On March 1, 2016, a strong front pushed high winds into parts of southwest and south-central Oregon, and NOAA logged two high-wind reports for the central and eastern Lake County zone and the zone shared with northern and eastern Klamath County. The costliest entry in the county’s record is the September 2024 Copperfield fire, which started near Chiloquin in Klamath County, burned 3,822 acres and destroyed 30 structures, with $4 million in property damage logged.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: Central and Eastern Lake County; Northern and Eastern Klamath County and Western Lake County.
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 ModerateWildfire: Relatively Moderate
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Lake County Very Low for strong wind and ice storms, Relatively Moderate for winter weather and wildfire, and Very Low overall. That looks at odds with 117 high-wind reports, but the index weighs exposure: few people and buildings means low expected loss in dollars, not calm weather.
USDA’s Forest Service puts wildfire risk to homes at the 43rd percentile among Oregon counties. For a single home on a large lot, the exposure is personal, so defensible space around the house is still worth the work.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 43% 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 sets the burning rules for Lake County under statewide OAR 340-264, with no regional air agency in this data. Fire-season closures apply on top of that, and in a county with 46 wildfire reports they are not a formality. The Oregon burning guide explains the conditions; in wind this frequent, a burn pile is a risk on its own.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Oregon.
Source: Oregon DEQ. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
No utility is mapped for Lake County on this site yet, so outage numbers and line-clearance policies are not listed here. Use the utility name on your bill and start at the utilities index. After one of the county’s frequent high-wind events, a tree on a line is the utility’s job first.
| 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 Lake County
Lake County’s 8,187 residents (Census Vintage 2025, up 0.31% since 2020) share 8,139 square miles, about one person per square mile. Lakeview, with 2,418, is the only town in this data and has not been researched yet, so ask the town about tree rules before cutting.
For most of the county the practical limits are distance and access, not a permit.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeview | 2,418 | 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 has no metro wage series for Lake County, so the Oregon statewide mean of $35.40 an hour for tree trimmers and pruners stands in. It is a wage, not a price; the modeled crew rate below adds overhead and equipment. Census did not publish a landscaping-establishment count for the county in 2023, which points to few or no local firms, so expect travel time in any quote.
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
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake County in zone 6b, with colder 6a ground. Replacement trees need real cold hardiness and, given 117 high-wind reports, a sturdy branch structure. A windbreak planted on the windward side of a homesite does more here than an ornamental by the porch.
USDA hardiness zones 6a, 6b (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Klamath County232 storm reports since 2016
- Harney County32 storm reports since 2016
- Deschutes County143 storm reports since 2016
- Crook County65 storm reports since 2016
- Jackson County202 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
Get the tree looked at first. A risk assessment tells you whether wind damage calls for trimming or removal, and a fallen tree across a drive can usually wait until the wind drops. Then call.
Check the company’s CCB standing through the Oregon tree service license lookup; with few local firms, out-of-area crews are common.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Oregon license lookup.
Major storms that reached Lake County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Lake 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.