SnowLoadCheck

Fall River County, SD Roof Snow Load - 15 psf

Fall River County, SD: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
15 psf

Fall River County's roofs are built to hold 15 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Fall River 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.

In depth, not weight: that's roughly 33 inches of fresh, light snow, 12 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 3 inches of solid ice - snow that heavy is rare here but ice from a freeze-thaw cycle adds up far faster than the depth suggests. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.

Fall River County, SD: quick facts

Fall River County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,582 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 57%; within South Dakota alone, Fall River County ranks #65 of 65. That's 13.2 psf below South Dakota's own county-average design load of 28.2 psf.

Fall River County, FIPS 46047, is home to 7,359 people near 43.2216°N 103.5126°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Fall River County's snowfall, most winters

43.8 in. a year: that's Fall River County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at OELRICHS, SD US (14.1 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Fall River County's number

Treat the Fall River County figure as a starting point, not a final answer: it assumes standard occupancy, a heated structure and a moderately sheltered site, per ASCE 7-22's own defaults. Exposed terrain, an unheated building or a steeper roof all shift the real number.

For a real application, skip the county number and go straight to the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool - enter your coordinates and it returns a site-specific figure a plan reviewer will recognize. (How this figure is calculated.)