Brown County, WI Roof Snow Load - 28 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Brown County, WI?
28 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Brown County to carry.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 61.6 in. if it's fresh powder, 22.4 in. once it settles, or a mere 5.6 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.
Already snow on the roof in Brown County?
Brown County, WI: quick facts
- Design roof snow load28 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map40 psf
- National rank#222 of 2,758
- Wisconsin rank#37 of 72
- Population273,909
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal55.6 in.
- FIPS55009
How Brown County compares
28 psf ranks #222 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 8%) - and #37 of 72 in Wisconsin. Wisconsin counties average 30.9 psf; Brown County runs 2.9 psf lower than that.
Population 273,909 (FIPS 55009), roughly 44.474°N 87.9961°W. The 40 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 28 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Brown County, WI
NOAA's 30-year normal for Brown County: 55.6 in. of snow a year, from the GREEN BAY, WI US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Brown 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.
Brown 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.