Tree service in Wasco County, Oregon
Snow, not wind, is what loads trees in Wasco County: 79 of the 145 storm reports NOAA logged here since 2016 were heavy snow, enough to rank the county 14th of Oregon’s 36. Wildfire is the other half of the story, with FEMA rating that risk Relatively High.
Ranks 14 of 36 Oregon counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
66% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates ice storm as “Relatively High” here.
-1.3% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Landscaping-services establishments, Census CBP 2023.
Storm records for Wasco County
Heavy snow dominates the record in a way it doesn’t in the Willamette Valley. NOAA logged 145 reports for Wasco County from 2016 through 2026, and 79 were heavy snow, followed by high wind at 28 and wildfire at 21. Thunderstorm wind (8), ice storms (3), winter storms (3) and hail (3) fill out the rest. That count ranks the county 14th of 36 in Oregon.
February, January and December are the peak months, and 66% of reports land between November and February. August is a second, smaller bump with 13 reports, which is the fire season showing up in the data.
The last three full years have been calmer: 30 reports in 2023 through 2025 against 47 in 2020 through 2022. A quieter stretch is not a reason to skip a pre-winter look at a heavy-limbed tree, because one snow event can still produce several reports in a week.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 79 |
| High Wind | 28 |
| Wildfire | 21 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8 |
| Ice Storm | 3 |
| Winter Storm | 3 |
| Hail | 3 |
The largest cluster began on January 2, 2022. A long run of northwest flow kept pushing moisture into the mountains, bringing upslope snow showers almost daily, while passing fronts and shortwaves added heavy snow and spells of freezing rain at lower elevations. Strong wind arrived at both the start and the end of the stretch. NOAA logged six reports from it, three high wind and three heavy snow, across the east slopes of the Oregon Cascades, the eastern Columbia River Gorge and north central Oregon.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: East Columbia River Gorge; East Slopes of the Oregon Cascades; John Day Basin; North Central 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: Relatively HighWinter weather: Relatively LowWildfire: Relatively High
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Wasco County Relatively High for both ice storms (score 84.2) and wildfire (98.1), Relatively Low for winter weather and Very Low for strong wind. The county’s wildfire risk to homes sits above 91% of Oregon counties.
For tree work, that splits the year in two. Before winter, the job is checking for limbs that will fail under ice or snow load. Before summer, it is thinning and limbing up around the house; the defensible space guide covers spacing and ladder fuels.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 91% 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 burning rules statewide under OAR 340-264, and Wasco County has no county section of its own, so the statewide rules apply; your local fire district can still close burning on dry days. The costliest entry in the zones covering the county is a reminder why: on May 8, 2019, a backyard debris burn escaped, burned 12 acres, destroyed one house and damaged another, with $300,000 in damage. Read the Oregon burning guide before you light a brush pile from a removal.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Oregon.
Source: Oregon DEQ. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
Wasco County’s electric utility isn’t mapped on this site yet, so there is no outage line or trimming policy to show here. Call the utility on your bill before any work near a line, and see the utilities page for how line clearance and service drops are usually split.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Wasco County PUD | 541-296-2226 | request page |
| 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 Wasco County
The Dalles holds 15,745 of the county’s 26,310 people (Census Vintage 2025), and its city code does not require a permit for tree removal on private property; the The Dalles page has the details and any exceptions. Outside the city, the county’s 2,381 square miles are mostly rural. Population fell 1.34% between 2020 and 2025.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| The Dalles | 15,745 | No private-tree permit |
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 metro wage estimate covers Wasco County, so the statewide figure stands in: BLS puts the mean wage for Oregon tree trimmers and pruners at $35.40 an hour. That is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour rate below adds burden, equipment and overhead. Census County Business Patterns counted 16 landscaping-services establishments here in 2023, so for a large removal you may be calling crews based in The Dalles or farther away.
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).
16 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Wasco 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
Most of the county sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a, with pockets of 6b and 7b. That is colder than the valley, so pick replacement trees rated well into zone 6 and plant after the ground thaws in spring. Ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak are native to this side of the Cascades and handle both the dry summer and snow load better than a thin-limbed ornamental.
USDA hardiness zones 6b, 7a, 7b (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Sherman County75 storm reports since 2016
- Hood River County142 storm reports since 2016
- Jefferson County175 storm reports since 2016
- Gilliam County82 storm reports since 2016
- Clackamas County198 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
For snow or ice damage, start with the fallen tree guide and the Oregon storm damage and insurance guide. For planned work, have a risk assessment done on anything large near the house, confirm the burn rules for the debris, then call. Run any company through the Oregon tree service license lookup before you sign.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Oregon license lookup.
Major storms that reached Wasco County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Wasco 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.
- Northern Wasco County PUD vegetation management, 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.