Clay County, SD Roof Snow Load - 24.5 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Clay County, SD?
24.5 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Clay 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. 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.
Clay County in numbers
- Design roof snow load24.5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map35 psf
- National rank#348 of 2,758
- South Dakota rank#48 of 65
- Population15,245
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal30.5 in.
- FIPS46027
How Clay County compares
24.5 psf ranks #348 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 13%) - and #48 of 65 in South Dakota. South Dakota counties average 28.2 psf; Clay County runs 3.7 psf lower than that.
Population 15,245 (FIPS 46027), roughly 42.9162°N 96.9805°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 Clay County, SD
NOAA's 30-year normal for Clay County: 30.5 in. of snow a year, from the CENTERVILLE 6 SE, SD US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Clay 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.
Clay 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.