Arenac County, MI Roof Snow Load - 28 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Arenac County, MI?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 61.6 in. if it's fresh powder, 22.4 in. once it settles, or a mere 5.6 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.

Arenac County in numbers

• Design roof snow load28 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map40 psf
• National rank#257 of 2,758
• Michigan rank#39 of 70
• Population15,087
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal53 in.
• FIPS26011

How Arenac County compares

28 psf ranks #257 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 9%) - and #39 of 70 in Michigan. 31.7 psf is Michigan's typical county figure - Arenac County comes in 3.7 psf under it.

Population 15,087 (FIPS 26011), roughly 44.0368°N 83.7407°W. The 40 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 28 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Arenac County, MI

NOAA's 30-year normal for Arenac County: 53 in. of snow a year, from the W BRANCH 3SE, MI US station. Worth noting: the nearest station reporting snowfall normals sits 27.3 mi from Arenac County's center, so treat this as a regional figure rather than an exact one. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Arenac 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.

Arenac 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. Details: the calculation guide.