Cherokee County, IA Roof Snow Load - 24.5 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Cherokee County, IA?
24.5 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Cherokee County to carry.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 53.9 in. if it's fresh powder, 19.6 in. once it settles, or a mere 4.9 in. if it's ice. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Cherokee County, IA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load24.5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map35 psf
- National rank#355 of 2,758
- Iowa rank#21 of 99
- Population11,658
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal37.8 in.
- FIPS19035
How Cherokee County compares
24.5 psf ranks #355 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 13%) - and #21 of 99 in Iowa. Iowa counties average 21.7 psf; Cherokee County runs 2.8 psf higher than that.
Population 11,658 (FIPS 19035), roughly 42.7427°N 95.6333°W. The 35 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 24.5 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Cherokee County, IA
NOAA's 30-year normal for Cherokee County: 37.8 in. of snow a year, from the CHEROKEE, IA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Cherokee 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.
Cherokee 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.