Cass County, MO Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Cass County, MO?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Cass County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Cass County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 14 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 in. if it's ice. 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.
Cass County, MO: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#637 of 2,758
- Missouri rank#8 of 115
- Population113,873
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal16.8 in.
- FIPS29037
How Cass County compares
20 psf ranks #637 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 23%) - and #8 of 115 in Missouri. Missouri counties average 18.6 psf; Cass County runs 1.4 psf higher than that.
Population 113,873 (FIPS 29037), roughly 38.6465°N 94.3545°W. The 20 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Cass County, MO
NOAA's 30-year normal for Cass County: 16.8 in. of snow a year, from the PLEASANT HILL WFO, MO US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Cass 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.
Cass 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.