Jones County, SD Roof Snow Load - 21 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Jones County, SD?
21 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Jones County to carry.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 46.2 in. if it's fresh powder, 16.8 in. once it settles, or a mere 4.2 in. if it's ice. 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.
Already snow on the roof in Jones County?
Jones County in numbers
- Design roof snow load21 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map30 psf
- National rank#494 of 2,758
- South Dakota rank#57 of 65
- Population874
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal49.1 in.
- FIPS46075
How Jones County compares
21 psf ranks #494 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 18%) - and #57 of 65 in South Dakota. South Dakota counties average 28.2 psf; Jones County runs 7.2 psf lower than that.
Population 874 (FIPS 46075), roughly 43.952°N 100.6861°W. The 30 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 21 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Jones County, SD
NOAA's 30-year normal for Jones County: 49.1 in. of snow a year, from the MURDO, SD US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Jones 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.
Jones 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. (How this figure is calculated.)