Billings County, ND Roof Snow Load - 21 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Billings County, ND?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 46.2 in. if it's fresh powder, 16.8 in. once it settles, or a mere 4.2 in. if it's ice. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.

Billings County in numbers

• Design roof snow load21 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map30 psf
• National rank#492 of 2,758
• North Dakota rank#49 of 49
• Population1,063
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal30.1 in.
• FIPS38007

How Billings County compares

21 psf ranks #492 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 18%) - and #49 of 49 in North Dakota. That's 8.4 psf below North Dakota's own county-average design load of 29.4 psf.

Population 1,063 (FIPS 38007), roughly 47.007°N 103.364°W. The 30 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 21 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Billings County, ND

NOAA's 30-year normal for Billings County: 30.1 in. of snow a year, from the MEDORA, ND US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Billings 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.

Billings 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.