Tree service in Spokane County, Washington
No Washington county logs more storms than Spokane: NOAA recorded 707 reports here since 2016, first of 39, and 469 of them were heavy snow.
Ranks 1 of 39 Washington counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
69% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates ice storm as “Very High” here.
+3.5% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Landscaping-services establishments, Census CBP 2023.
Storm records for Spokane County
Spokane County’s record is first in the state by a wide margin. Heavy snow makes up 469 of the 707 reports, but the list is broader than in most counties: thunderstorm wind (46), wildfire (43), winter weather (43), high wind (40), strong wind (30), ice storms (8) and even 5 tornadoes. NOAA attributes 8 deaths and 9 injuries to the county’s entries.
January (173) and December (144) lead, and 69% of reports fall between November and February, a lower share than most of the state because summer wind and fire add to the count. Reports have fallen to 104 in 2023 through 2025 from 201 in the three years before, after a run of more than 100 a year from 2017 to 2020.
That mix means two seasons of tree risk: snow-loaded ponderosa pines in winter and wind-thrown or fire-exposed trees in summer.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 469 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 46 |
| Wildfire | 43 |
| Winter Weather | 43 |
| High Wind | 40 |
| Strong Wind | 30 |
| Winter Storm | 14 |
| Ice Storm | 8 |
| Hail | 6 |
| Tornado | 5 |
| Lightning | 3 |
The biggest episode by report count was February 13, 2018. A surface low formed over eastern Washington overnight and slid southeast; the western Columbia Basin saw only light snow that melted by afternoon, but the higher ground north of the track, including Spokane, the Palouse and the northeastern mountains, sat under the heaviest precipitation. NOAA filed 29 heavy-snow reports across those zones.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: Northeast Mountains; Spokane Area; Washington Palouse.
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 HighIce storm: Very HighWinter weather: Relatively HighWildfire: Relatively Moderate
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Spokane County Very High for ice storms, Relatively High for strong wind, Relatively High for winter weather and Relatively Moderate for wildfire, Relatively Moderate overall. USDA’s Forest Service puts wildfire risk to homes at the 53rd percentile in Washington.
The fire risk is not abstract. In 2023 strong winds and dry air pushed two human-caused fires into residential areas, and NOAA records 270 structures lost or damaged with about $75 million in damage. Thinning ladder fuels and limbing up pines near the house is part of ordinary tree care here; see defensible space.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 53% 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 Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency prohibits residential yard and garden debris burning for most residents, including those in urban growth areas and smoke-sensitive areas, and bans land-clearing fires except DNR silvicultural burns (SRCAA Regulation I, Article VI). Plan to chip or haul removal debris; the Washington burning guide has the details.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Washington.
Source: Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
Spokane County’s electric utilities are not mapped on this site yet, so no outage number or line-clearance policy is listed here. The utilities page explains who handles trees near primary lines and service drops, and tree removal near power lines covers why a tree touching a wire needs a qualified crew.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| Avista | (800) 227-9187 | request page |
| Inland Power & Light | (509) 747-7151 (dedicated outage line not found) | request page |
| Modern Electric Water Co. | not published | request page |
| Vera Water & Power | not published | request page |
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in Spokane County
Of the county’s 558,344 residents (Census Vintage 2025), 230,783 live in Spokane and 108,405 in Spokane Valley; neither city requires a general permit for removing a tree on private property, so check their pages for the details. Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Deer Park and Millwood have not been researched yet.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane | 230,783 | No private-tree permit |
| Spokane Valley | 108,405 | No private-tree permit |
| Liberty Lake | 14,029 | Ask the city |
| Cheney | 12,650 | Ask the city |
| Airway Heights | 11,811 | Ask the city |
| Medical Lake | 4,874 | Ask the city |
| Deer Park | 4,383 | Ask the city |
| Millwood | 1,881 | 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 puts the mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners at $25.94 an hour in the Spokane-Spokane Valley area, well under the west-side metros. It is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour range below adds payroll, equipment and overhead. Census County Business Patterns counted 223 landscaping-services establishments in the county in 2023.
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA: $25.94 per hour mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners (BLS, May 2025). This is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour cost used on this site is $210 (method).
223 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Spokane 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
Spokane spans USDA zones 6a to 7a on the 2023 map, with 6b the most common. Cold winters and dry summers narrow the replanting list: ponderosa pine, western larch and other cold-hardy, drought-tolerant species do well. Plant in spring or early fall, and keep new conifers clear of the house for fire spacing.
USDA hardiness zones 6a, 6b, 7a (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Lincoln County310 storm reports since 2016
- Whitman County99 storm reports since 2016
- Stevens County357 storm reports since 2016
- Pend Oreille County348 storm reports since 2016
- Adams County120 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
After a snow or wind storm, use the fallen tree guide and the Washington storm damage and insurance guide. For planned work, check your city page, get an assessment, then call. Look the contractor up in the Washington license lookup first.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Washington license lookup.
Major storms that reached Spokane County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Spokane 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.
- Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, checked 2026-10-02.
- Avista vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
- Inland Power & Light vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
- Modern Electric Water Co. 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.