Chase County, KS Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Chase County, KS?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Chase County to carry. §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.
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. 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.
Chase County, KS: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,268 of 2,758
- Kansas rank#63 of 105
- Population2,507
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal11.7 in.
- FIPS20017
How Chase County compares
20 psf ranks #1,268 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 46%) - and #63 of 105 in Kansas. That's 1.8 psf above Kansas's own county-average design load of 18.2 psf.
Population 2,507 (FIPS 20017), roughly 38.2995°N 96.594°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 Chase County, KS
NOAA's 30-year normal for Chase County: 11.7 in. of snow a year, from the TALLGRASS PRAIRIE NP, KS US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Chase 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.
Chase 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.