SnowLoadCheck

Elbert County, CO Roof Snow Load - 20 psf

What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Elbert County

Moderate
20 psf

That's Elbert County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. 14 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Elbert County's 20 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.

Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to 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.

Already snow on the roof in Elbert County?

in. of

Elbert County, CO: quick facts

Where Elbert County's figure sits nationally

Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Elbert County sits at #863, the top 31% nationally - #9 of 24 within Colorado. Colorado counties average 17.7 psf; Elbert County runs 2.3 psf higher than that.

Near 39.3152°N 104.1141°W, FIPS 08039: Elbert County counts 29,382 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.

How much it actually snows in Elbert County

Most winters bring Elbert County roughly 74.8 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at ELIZABETH 2NW, CO US, 27.9 mi off. Worth noting: the nearest station reporting snowfall normals sits 27.9 mi from Elbert County's center, so treat this as a regional figure rather than an exact one. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

Read this before you rely on it

Elbert County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.

Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Elbert County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.