SnowLoadCheck

Brown County, IN Roof Snow Load - 20 psf

Brown County, IN: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
20 psf

Brown County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 14 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 20 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.

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.

Brown County at a glance

Brown County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,014 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 37%; within Indiana alone, Brown County ranks #65 of 89. 19.3 psf is Indiana's typical county figure - Brown County beats it by 0.7 psf.

Brown County, FIPS 18013, is home to 15,650 people near 39.1951°N 86.2301°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Brown County's snowfall, most winters

19.7 in. a year: that's Brown County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at NASHVILLE 2 NNE, IN US (3.1 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Brown County's number

Treat the Brown 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.