Franklin County, IA Roof Snow Load - 24.5 psf

Franklin County, IA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

In depth, not weight: that's roughly 53.9 inches of fresh, light snow, 19.6 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4.9 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.

Franklin County at a glance

• Design roof snow load24.5 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map35 psf
• National rank#358 of 2,758
• Iowa rank#23 of 99
• Population10,024
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal30 in.
• FIPS19069

Franklin County by the numbers

Nationally that's #358 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 13%; within Iowa alone, Franklin County ranks #23 of 99. That's 2.8 psf above Iowa's own county-average design load of 21.7 psf.

Franklin County, FIPS 19069, is home to 10,024 people near 42.7365°N 93.2714°W. Its 35 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 24.5 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Franklin County's snowfall, most winters

30 in. a year: that's Franklin County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at POPEJOY 1S, IA US (13.3 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Franklin County's number

Treat the Franklin 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.)