SnowLoadCheck

Aroostook County, ME Roof Snow Load - 70 psf

Aroostook County, ME: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Very heavy
70 psf

Aroostook County's roofs are built to hold 70 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.

In depth, not weight: that's roughly 154 inches of fresh, light snow, 56 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 14 inches of solid ice - snow that heavy is rare here but ice from a freeze-thaw cycle adds up far faster than the depth suggests. This ranks among the highest mapped design loads in the country outside case-study terrain - roof snow removal and periodic structural inspection are standard practice here.

Aroostook County at a glance

Aroostook County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 1%; within Maine alone, Aroostook County ranks #1 of 12. That's 22.2 psf above Maine's own county-average design load of 47.8 psf.

Aroostook County, FIPS 23003, is home to 66,776 people near 46.7092°N 68.6124°W. Its 100 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 70 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Aroostook County's snowfall, most winters

97.5 in. a year: that's Aroostook County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at PRESQUE ISLE, ME US (28.9 mi away). That station is far enough away (28.9 mi) that local snowfall - especially at a different elevation or near a lake - can run noticeably higher or lower than this figure. See the density guide.

Before you rely on Aroostook County's number

Treat the Aroostook County figure as a starting point, not a final answer: it assumes standard occupancy, a heated structure and a moderately sheltered site, per ASCE 7-22's own defaults. Exposed terrain, an unheated building or a steeper roof all shift the real number.

For a real application, skip the county number and go straight to the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool - enter your coordinates and it returns a site-specific figure a plan reviewer will recognize. See the methodology guide.