8 FEMA areas

Winter Weather Risk by City in Massachusetts

Compare 13 cities using FEMA's relative winter weather scores and annualized frequency for the county-equivalent areas shown.

Highest relative score

82.4/100

Worcester County

Covered cities: Leominster and Worcester

Lowest relative score in this set

14.6/100

Plymouth County

Covered cities: Brockton

These are relative FEMA scores for county-equivalent areas. They are not annual probabilities or property-level findings.

Massachusetts winter weather rankings

Cities sharing a FEMA area are grouped together and receive the same score.

RankFEMA area and citiesRatingScoreAnnualized frequency
#1

Worcester County

LeominsterWorcester
Relatively Moderate82.4/1006.871 per year
#2

Hampden County

Springfield
Relatively Moderate68.2/1005.831 per year
#3

Middlesex County

CambridgeLowellNewton
Relatively Low36.2/1006.719 per year
#4

Essex County

LawrenceLynn
Very Low23.0/1006.236 per year
#5

Bristol County

Fall RiverNew Bedford
Very Low22.5/1004.129 per year
#6

Suffolk County

Boston
Very Low21.1/1005.232 per year
#7

Norfolk County

Quincy
Very Low19.6/1005.283 per year
#8

Plymouth County

Brockton
Very Low14.6/1004.364 per year

Occurrence thresholds vary by hazard. The FEMA methodology defines the value for each hazard.

Preparing for winter weather

Ready.gov Be Informed ↗

For a home or move

  • ✓Confirm the exact hazard using official local maps before making property or insurance decisions.
  • ✓Review policy exclusions, deductibles, and temporary-living coverage with a licensed professional.
  • ✓Keep inspections, inventories, and critical documents in a secure location you can access after an emergency.

For a household plan

  • ✓Know how local officials issue warnings and evacuation instructions.
  • ✓Maintain water, food, lighting, medications, and communications for several days.
  • ✓Create a household communication plan and practice it before an emergency.

Questions about winter weather risk in Massachusetts

Which covered Massachusetts cities have the highest relative winter weather risk?

Leominster and Worcester use FEMA data for Worcester County, which has the highest relative winter weather score in this covered set at 82.4/100. Cities sharing the same FEMA area share the same score.

Which covered Massachusetts area has the lowest relative winter weather score?

Plymouth County has the lowest score in this covered set at 14.6/100. This is a relative FEMA comparison, not a declaration that every property there is safe.

Are these winter weather figures city-level?

No. The city links provide geographic navigation, while the scores and frequencies cover the FEMA county-equivalent areas shown in the table. Address-level conditions require local maps and property details.

Is the FEMA relative score an annual probability?

No. The relative score compares FEMA areas on a 0–100 scale. Annualized frequency appears separately with hazard-specific units.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.19.0, released March 2023. Hazard data covers FEMA county-equivalent areas.

FEMA source ↗Our methodology →