Chippewa County, WI Roof Snow Load - 35 psf
Chippewa County, WI: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Chippewa County's roofs are built to hold 35 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 77 inches of fresh, light snow, 28 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 7 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. A load this size is a serious structural matter; pre-modern-code homes and low-slope or flat-roofed sections are the ones most worth an inspection.
Chippewa County at a glance
- Design roof snow load35 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
- National rank#117 of 2,758
- Wisconsin rank#23 of 72
- Population67,323
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal41.8 in.
- FIPS55017
Chippewa County by the numbers
Nationally that's #117 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 4%; within Wisconsin alone, Chippewa County ranks #23 of 72. 30.9 psf is Wisconsin's typical county figure - Chippewa County beats it by 4.1 psf.
Chippewa County, FIPS 55017, is home to 67,323 people near 45.0691°N 91.2835°W. Its 50 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 35 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Chippewa County's snowfall, most winters
41.8 in. a year: that's Chippewa County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at BLOOMER, WI US (10 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Chippewa County's number
Treat the Chippewa 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. (How this figure is calculated.)