Lake County, SD Roof Snow Load - 28 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Lake County
That's Lake County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 61.6 in. of fresh powder, 22.4 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 5.6 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.
Lake County in numbers
- Design roof snow load28 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map40 psf
- National rank#260 of 2,758
- South Dakota rank#26 of 65
- Population11,006
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal36.8 in.
- FIPS46079
Where Lake County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Lake County sits at #260, the top 9% nationally - #26 of 65 within South Dakota. 28.2 psf is South Dakota's typical county figure - Lake County comes in 0.2 psf under it.
Near 44.0284°N 97.1232°W, FIPS 46079: Lake County counts 11,006 residents and a 40 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 28 psf.
How much it actually snows in Lake County
Most winters bring Lake County roughly 36.8 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at MADISON 2SE, SD US, 3 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Lake 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 Lake County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.