Carbon County, WY Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Carbon County, WY: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Carbon County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 14 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
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.
Carbon County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,044 of 2,758
- Wyoming rank#6 of 18
- Population14,250
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal93.3 in.
- FIPS56007
Carbon County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,044 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 38%; within Wyoming alone, Carbon County ranks #6 of 18. Wyoming counties average 17.5 psf; Carbon County runs 2.5 psf higher than that.
Carbon County, FIPS 56007, is home to 14,250 people near 41.7036°N 106.9332°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Carbon County's snowfall, most winters
93.3 in. a year: that's Carbon County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at ELK MTN, WY US (26.8 mi away). Worth noting: the nearest station reporting snowfall normals sits 26.8 mi from Carbon County's center, so treat this as a regional figure rather than an exact one. See the density guide.
Before you rely on Carbon County's number
Treat the Carbon 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.