Howard County, NE Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Howard County, NE?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Howard County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Howard County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 17.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 in. if it's 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.
Howard County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#1,183 of 2,758
- Nebraska rank#51 of 93
- Population6,572
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal22.4 in.
- FIPS31093
How Howard County compares
20 psf ranks #1,183 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 43%) - and #51 of 93 in Nebraska. 20.2 psf is Nebraska's typical county figure - Howard County comes in 0.2 psf under it.
Population 6,572 (FIPS 31093), roughly 41.2169°N 98.5133°W. The 25 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Howard County, NE
NOAA's 30-year normal for Howard County: 22.4 in. of snow a year, from the SAINT PAUL, NE US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Howard County figure assumes
This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.
Howard County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. Details: the calculation guide.