Tree service in Lewis County, Washington

Storm records for Lewis County

Lewis County’s storm reports have thinned out. NOAA logged 28 for 2020 through 2022 and 17 for 2023 through 2025, a 39% drop, and 2025 produced just two. Over the full 2016 to 2026 record the county’s 78 reports rank 28th of Washington’s 39.

Heavy snow is the bulk of it at 52 reports, with winter weather at 13; strong wind, winter storms and high wind add three each, ice storms and wildfire two each. February leads with 25 reports, December follows with 17 and January with 12, and 79% of the total lands between November and February. May, June and July recorded none.

Forecast zones covering the county run from the Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties to the lowlands of Lewis and southern Thurston, so one storm can bring deep snow up high and wet snow and wind in the valleys. A tree that leans toward the house is worth checking before the February peak.

NWS forecast zones covering the county: Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties; Foothills and Valleys of Thurston and Lewis Counties; Lowlands of Lewis and Southern Thurston Counties; Willapa and Black Hills.

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 LowWinter weather: Relatively LowWildfire: Relatively Low

FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Lewis County Relatively Low on all four tree hazards, strong wind, ice storm, winter weather and wildfire, with an overall rating of Relatively Moderate. Wildfire posts the highest of those scores at 76.7, and the Forest Service places wildfire risk to homes here above 42% of Washington counties, mid-pack for the state.

The 2017 fire is the reminder that mid-pack is not zero. On rural lots, keep dead trees and limbs away from structures and power poles; in town, the more common risk is winter snow on overextended limbs, which a risk assessment will flag.

Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 42% of Washington 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

The Southwest Clean Air Agency sets burning rules for Lewis County. Residential yard-debris burning is permanently banned inside urban growth areas and the agency’s No Burn Areas. Outside them, you can self-issue a permit for one pile no larger than 10 by 10 by 6 feet, while slash and land-clearing burns need a site-specific permit under SWCAA 425. Check whether your address sits inside a UGA before planning a pile; the Washington burning guide explains the rest.

Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Washington.

Source: Southwest Clean Air Agency. Checked 2026-10-02.

Power lines and utilities

Lewis County’s electric utility is not mapped on this site yet, so its outage number and tree-trimming policy are not shown. Find the utility on your bill and check the utilities index. When the 2017 fire burned, 1,000 customers lost power and poles went down, so for trees near lines on rural parcels, call the utility before you hire anyone.

Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.

Cities and towns in Lewis County

Lewis County’s 88,062 residents (Census 2025 estimate, up 7.2% since 2020) are spread across 2,403 square miles, with Centralia (19,375) and Chehalis (7,439) the two largest cities. Neither city’s tree rules have been researched for this site yet, nor have those in Napavine (1,888), Winlock (1,472) or Morton (1,036).

Call the city planning office before removing a large tree inside any of them; the Washington permit guide lists the questions to ask.

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 Lewis County, so the statewide BLS figure applies: Washington tree trimmers and pruners averaged $32.20 an hour in May 2025. That is pay, not price; the modeled crew-hour range below adds equipment, insurance, fuel and disposal. Census County Business Patterns counted 21 landscaping-services establishments in the county in 2023, a modest pool for 2,403 square miles, so book planned work early in the fall.

Washington statewide: $32.20 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 $210 (method).

21 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Lewis 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 Lewis County is hardiness zone 8a on the 2023 USDA map, but the county also takes in 8b and, in the mountains, 7a, so match stock to your own ZIP. Douglas fir and bigleaf maple are the common big yard trees. When replanting, set tall conifers well clear of the house and choose species that shed wet snow, since heavy snow is two-thirds of the storm record.

USDA hardiness zones 7a, 8a, 8b (2023 map, by ZIP code).

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.

Nearby counties

• Cowlitz County154 storm reports since 2016
• Thurston County21 storm reports since 2016
• Pierce County99 storm reports since 2016
• Skamania County162 storm reports since 2016
• Wahkiakum County125 storm reports since 2016

What to do next

Check whether your address is in a city or an urban growth area first: that decides both the permit question and whether you can burn the debris. Then get the tree assessed before the February peak; a risk assessment tells you whether pruning is enough or a large removal is warranted.

Before you sign a contract, look up the company’s registration through the Washington license lookup and compare its bid with the modeled range on the cost page.

Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Washington license lookup.

Major storms that reached Lewis County

These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Lewis County since 2016. Each storm page lists the dates, report counts and the other counties hit.

• December 2022 ice storm and windstorm
• October 2021 windstorm
• February 2021 ice storm
• October 2016 storm series