Adams County, WI Roof Snow Load - 24.5 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Adams County, WI?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 53.9 in. if it's fresh powder, 19.6 in. once it settles, or a mere 4.9 in. if it's ice. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.

Adams County, WI: quick facts

• Design roof snow load24.5 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map35 psf
• National rank#337 of 2,758
• Wisconsin rank#51 of 72
• Population21,352
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal43.1 in.
• FIPS55001

How Adams County compares

24.5 psf ranks #337 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 12%) - and #51 of 72 in Wisconsin. That's 6.4 psf below Wisconsin's own county-average design load of 30.9 psf.

Population 21,352 (FIPS 55001), roughly 43.9738°N 89.7672°W. The 35 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 24.5 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Adams County, WI

NOAA's 30-year normal for Adams County: 43.1 in. of snow a year, from the HANCOCK EXP FARM, WI US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Adams County figure assumes

This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.

Adams County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. (How this figure is calculated.)