Tree service in Lincoln County, Washington

Storm records for Lincoln County

Lincoln County’s most expensive storm entry is recent. On September 1, 2023, strong wind and dry air moved into the Spokane Area forecast zone, which covers part of the county; two human-caused wildfires spread through residential areas, and 270 structures were lost or damaged. NOAA attached $75 million in property damage to the two reports.

Snow still makes up most of the record. NOAA logged 310 reports from 2016 through 2026, sixth of Washington’s 39 counties, and heavy snow leads with 183. Winter weather follows with 33, high wind 25, wildfire 24, strong wind 19 and ice storms 13. January (71) and February (66) are the peak months, with December at 54, and 66% of reports fall between November and February. October’s 31 reports show the season can start early.

Counts have fallen: 37 reports in 2023 through 2025 against 101 in 2020 through 2022, a 63% drop. Even so, NOAA tied 8 deaths and 7 injuries to the county’s reports over the period.

NWS forecast zones covering the county: Spokane Area; Upper Columbia Basin.

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: Very LowWildfire: Relatively Moderate

FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Lincoln County Relatively Moderate for wildfire with a score of 96.7, Relatively Low for strong wind and ice storm, and Very Low for winter weather; the overall rating is Relatively Low. The Forest Service puts wildfire risk to homes here above 74% of Washington counties.

The Very Low winter rating looks odd next to 183 heavy-snow reports, but the index weighs expected losses, and with few people and buildings there is less to lose. For a homeowner the takeaway is simpler: trees near the house still carry snow, and the 2023 fires show that wind-driven fire can reach homes. Keep the defensible space around buildings clear.

Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 74% 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

Lincoln County follows the Washington Department of Ecology’s statewide outdoor-burning rules. WAC 173-425-040 bars residential and land-clearing burning inside urban growth areas and in cities over 10,000; Davenport, the largest city listed here, has 1,703 people. Under WAC 173-425-050 you still cannot burn prohibited materials, must attend the fire and must keep a 50-foot setback. Given the county’s fire record, check for seasonal burn bans before lighting a pile.

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

Source: Washington Department of Ecology. Checked 2026-10-02.

Power lines and utilities

No electric utility is mapped for Lincoln County on this site yet, so its outage number and right-of-way trimming rules are not shown. Check your bill and the utilities index. With 25 high-wind and 19 strong-wind reports on file, a tree into a line is a realistic winter call; treat any contact as the utility’s job first and read tree removal near power lines.

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

Cities and towns in Lincoln County

Lincoln County’s 11,982 people (Census 2025 estimate) live across 2,311 square miles, and the population grew 10.15% from 2020 to 2025. Davenport, at 1,703, is the largest city listed, and its tree rules have not been researched for this site. Most properties are rural: for large clearing, check with the county planning office, and for anything inside town limits, ask Davenport’s city office first.

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 puts the mean wage for Washington tree trimmers and pruners at $32.20 an hour (May 2025); Lincoln County has no local estimate, so the statewide figure is used. That number is pay for the worker, not the price of a job. Census County Business Patterns counted only 4 landscaping-services establishments in the county in 2023, so most crews will travel in, and drive time becomes part of the bid.

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).

4 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Lincoln 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

Lincoln County sits in hardiness zones 6b and 7a on the 2023 USDA map, with 6b the most common. Replant with species rated for zone 6 or colder and built for snow: compact crowns and strong branch unions hold up under the January loads. Keep new trees out of the lean zone right around the house that the defensible space guide describes.

USDA hardiness zones 6b, 7a (2023 map, by ZIP code).

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

Nearby counties

• Adams County120 storm reports since 2016
• Spokane County707 storm reports since 2016
• Grant County151 storm reports since 2016
• Douglas County291 storm reports since 2016
• Stevens County357 storm reports since 2016

What to do next

Decide what the tree threatens. A dead or dying tree near a house is a fire problem in late summer, so put it on the list for dead tree removal; a live tree with heavy limbs over the roof is a snow problem, and a risk assessment tells you how much pruning it needs. Check with Davenport first if you are inside town.

Before hiring, look the company up in the Washington license lookup and compare its price with the modeled range on the cost page; with few local firms, travel will move the number.

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

Major storms that reached Lincoln County

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

• January 2021 windstorm
• Labor Day 2020 east wind event
• May 30, 2020 thunderstorm outbreak
• January 2017 ice storm
• October 2016 storm series