Douglas County, SD Roof Snow Load - 28 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Douglas County, SD?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 61.6 in. if it's fresh powder, 22.4 in. once it settles, or a mere 5.6 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.

Douglas County in numbers

• Design roof snow load28 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map40 psf
• National rank#289 of 2,758
• South Dakota rank#37 of 65
• Population2,849
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal34.4 in.
• FIPS46043

How Douglas County compares

28 psf ranks #289 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 10%) - and #37 of 65 in South Dakota. South Dakota counties average 28.2 psf; Douglas County runs 0.2 psf lower than that.

Population 2,849 (FIPS 46043), roughly 43.3915°N 98.3584°W. The 40 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 28 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Douglas County, SD

NOAA's 30-year normal for Douglas County: 34.4 in. of snow a year, from the ARMOUR, SD US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Douglas 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.

Douglas 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.