Bay County, MI Roof Snow Load - 24.5 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Bay County
That's Bay County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 53.9 in. of fresh powder, 19.6 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4.9 in. if it's turned to 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.
Bay County, MI: quick facts
- Design roof snow load24.5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map35 psf
- National rank#314 of 2,758
- Michigan rank#42 of 70
- Population102,651
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal49 in.
- FIPS26017
Where Bay County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Bay County sits at #314, the top 11% nationally - #42 of 70 within Michigan. Michigan counties average 31.7 psf; Bay County runs 7.2 psf lower than that.
Near 43.6997°N 83.9787°W, FIPS 26017: Bay County counts 102,651 residents and a 35 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 24.5 psf.
How much it actually snows in Bay County
Most winters bring Bay County roughly 49 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at SAGINAW MBS INTL AP, MI US, 12.6 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Bay County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.
Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Bay County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.