Franklin County, MA Roof Snow Load - 35 psf
Franklin County, MA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Franklin County's roofs are built to hold 35 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 77 inches of fresh, light snow, 28 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 7 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 serious structural load. Homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or with low-slope/flat roof sections, are the ones most worth having checked.
Franklin County, MA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load35 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
- National rank#114 of 2,758
- Massachusetts rank#5 of 14
- Population70,871
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal45.7 in.
- FIPS25011
Franklin County by the numbers
Nationally that's #114 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 4%; within Massachusetts alone, Franklin County ranks #5 of 14. 27.6 psf is Massachusetts's typical county figure - Franklin County beats it by 7.4 psf.
Franklin County, FIPS 25011, is home to 70,871 people near 42.5845°N 72.5918°W. Its 50 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 35 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Franklin County's snowfall, most winters
45.7 in. a year: that's Franklin County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at SUNDERLAND, MA US (9.9 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.)