Ford County, IL Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Ford County
That's Ford County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 14 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Ford County, IL: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,055 of 2,758
- Illinois rank#71 of 102
- Population13,451
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal18.3 in.
- FIPS17053
Where Ford County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Ford County sits at #1,055, the top 38% nationally - #71 of 102 within Illinois. Illinois counties average 19.3 psf; Ford County runs 0.7 psf higher than that.
Near 40.5965°N 88.2246°W, FIPS 17053: Ford County counts 13,451 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Ford County
Most winters bring Ford County roughly 18.3 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at PAXTON 2 WSW, IL US, 10.7 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Ford 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 Ford County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.