Deaf Smith County, TX Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Deaf Smith County, TX?
15 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Deaf Smith County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Deaf Smith County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 15 psf, not the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 33 in. if it's fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles, or a mere 3 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.
Deaf Smith County, TX: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,484 of 2,758
- Texas rank#13 of 254
- Population18,495
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal15.9 in.
- FIPS48117
How Deaf Smith County compares
15 psf ranks #1,484 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 54%) - and #13 of 254 in Texas. 5.4 psf is Texas's typical county figure - Deaf Smith County beats it by 9.6 psf.
Population 18,495 (FIPS 48117), roughly 34.9408°N 102.6076°W. The 15 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 15 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Deaf Smith County, TX
NOAA's 30-year normal for Deaf Smith County: 15.9 in. of snow a year, from the UMBARGER, TX US station. Worth noting: the nearest station reporting snowfall normals sits 28.5 mi from Deaf Smith County's center, so treat this as a regional figure rather than an exact one. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Deaf Smith 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.
Deaf Smith 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. See the methodology guide.