Franklin County, VT Roof Snow Load - 35 psf
Franklin County, VT: 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 load this size is a serious structural matter; pre-modern-code homes and low-slope or flat-roofed sections are the ones most worth an inspection.
Franklin County in numbers
- Design roof snow load35 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
- National rank#121 of 2,758
- Vermont rank#3 of 5
- Population51,066
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal139.3 in.
- FIPS50011
Franklin County by the numbers
Nationally that's #121 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 4%; within Vermont alone, Franklin County ranks #3 of 5. Vermont counties average 32.2 psf; Franklin County runs 2.8 psf higher than that.
Franklin County, FIPS 50011, is home to 51,066 people near 44.859°N 72.9094°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
139.3 in. a year: that's Franklin County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at JEFFERSONVILLE, VT US (19.9 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. Details: the calculation guide.