Chittenden County, VT Roof Snow Load - 35 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Chittenden County, VT?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 77 in. if it's fresh powder, 28 in. once it settles, or a mere 7 in. if it's ice. This is a serious structural load - older homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or ones with low-slope or flat roof sections, are worth having checked.

Chittenden County at a glance

• Design roof snow load35 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
• National rank#99 of 2,758
• Vermont rank#1 of 5
• Population170,851
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal87.5 in.
• FIPS50007

How Chittenden County compares

35 psf ranks #99 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 4%) - and #1 of 5 in Vermont. That's 2.8 psf above Vermont's own county-average design load of 32.2 psf.

Population 170,851 (FIPS 50007), roughly 44.4638°N 73.0671°W. The 50 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 35 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Chittenden County, VT

NOAA's 30-year normal for Chittenden County: 87.5 in. of snow a year, from the BURLINGTON INTL AP, VT US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Chittenden 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.

Chittenden 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.