Benton County, IN Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Benton County, IN: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Benton County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Benton County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 14 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4 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. 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.
Benton County, IN: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,128 of 2,758
- Indiana rank#73 of 89
- Population8,853
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal28.8 in.
- FIPS18007
Benton County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,128 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 41%; within Indiana alone, Benton County ranks #73 of 89. That's 0.7 psf above Indiana's own county-average design load of 19.3 psf.
Benton County, FIPS 18007, is home to 8,853 people near 40.6009°N 87.3148°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Benton County's snowfall, most winters
28.8 in. a year: that's Benton County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at REMINGTON 2NNW, IN US (15.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Benton County's number
Treat the Benton 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. (How this figure is calculated.)