Fremont County, IA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Fremont County, IA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Fremont County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 17.5 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 20 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 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. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.
Snow on Fremont County's roofs right now?
Fremont County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#1,185 of 2,758
- Iowa rank#95 of 99
- Population6,494
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal20.6 in.
- FIPS19071
Fremont County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,185 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 43%; within Iowa alone, Fremont County ranks #95 of 99. That's 1.7 psf below Iowa's own county-average design load of 21.7 psf.
Fremont County, FIPS 19071, is home to 6,494 people near 40.7426°N 95.5992°W. Its 25 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Fremont County's snowfall, most winters
20.6 in. a year: that's Fremont County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at SIDNEY 1SSE, IA US (2.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Fremont County's number
Treat the Fremont 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.