Butte County, SD Roof Snow Load - 21 psf
Butte County, SD: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Butte County's roofs are built to hold 21 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 46.2 inches of fresh, light snow, 16.8 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4.2 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. 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.
Butte County in numbers
- Design roof snow load21 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map30 psf
- National rank#468 of 2,758
- South Dakota rank#54 of 65
- Population10,891
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal39.8 in.
- FIPS46019
Butte County by the numbers
Nationally that's #468 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 17%; within South Dakota alone, Butte County ranks #54 of 65. 28.2 psf is South Dakota's typical county figure - Butte County comes in 7.2 psf under it.
Butte County, FIPS 46019, is home to 10,891 people near 44.8962°N 103.5014°W. Its 30 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 21 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Butte County's snowfall, most winters
39.8 in. a year: that's Butte County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at NEWELL, SD US (13.2 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Butte County's number
Treat the Butte 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. Details: the calculation guide.