Forest County, WI Roof Snow Load - 42 psf
Forest County, WI: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Forest County's roofs are built to hold 42 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 92.4 inches of fresh, light snow, 33.6 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 8.4 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. This is a serious structural load - older homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or ones with low-slope or flat roof sections, are worth having checked.
Snow on Forest County's roofs right now?
Forest County, WI: quick facts
- Design roof snow load42 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map60 psf
- National rank#73 of 2,758
- Wisconsin rank#15 of 72
- Population9,506
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal74.7 in.
- FIPS55041
Forest County by the numbers
Nationally that's #73 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 3%; within Wisconsin alone, Forest County ranks #15 of 72. 30.9 psf is Wisconsin's typical county figure - Forest County beats it by 11.1 psf.
Forest County, FIPS 55041, is home to 9,506 people near 45.6669°N 88.7733°W. Its 60 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 42 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Forest County's snowfall, most winters
74.7 in. a year: that's Forest County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at ARGONNE 1.5-NW, WI US (6.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Forest County's number
Treat the Forest 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. Details: the calculation guide.