Koochiching County, MN Roof Snow Load - 49 psf
Koochiching County, MN: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Koochiching County's roofs are built to hold 49 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 107.8 inches of fresh, light snow, 39.2 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 9.8 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 serious structural load. Homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or with low-slope/flat roof sections, are the ones most worth having checked.
Koochiching County in numbers
- Design roof snow load49 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map70 psf
- National rank#18 of 2,758
- Minnesota rank#5 of 87
- Population11,594
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal54.5 in.
- FIPS27071
Koochiching County by the numbers
Nationally that's #18 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 1%; within Minnesota alone, Koochiching County ranks #5 of 87. Minnesota counties average 37.4 psf; Koochiching County runs 11.6 psf higher than that.
Koochiching County, FIPS 27071, is home to 11,594 people near 48.2454°N 93.7829°W. Its 70 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 49 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Koochiching County's snowfall, most winters
54.5 in. a year: that's Koochiching County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at LITTLEFORK 10 SW, MN US (8.9 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Koochiching County's number
Treat the Koochiching 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. (How this figure is calculated.)