Golden Valley County, MT Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Golden Valley County
That's Golden Valley County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 20 psf - higher than the 17.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to ice. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.
Golden Valley County, MT: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#1,291 of 2,758
- Montana rank#22 of 29
- Population863
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal52.9 in.
- FIPS30037
Where Golden Valley County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Golden Valley County sits at #1,291, the top 47% nationally - #22 of 29 within Montana. That's 1 psf above Montana's own county-average design load of 19 psf.
Near 46.3806°N 109.1746°W, FIPS 30037: Golden Valley County counts 863 residents and a 25 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Golden Valley County
Most winters bring Golden Valley County roughly 52.9 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at RYEGATE 18 NNW, MT US, 13.3 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Golden Valley County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.
Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Golden Valley County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.