Madison County, NE Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Madison County
That's Madison County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 17.5 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Madison County, NE: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#815 of 2,758
- Nebraska rank#21 of 93
- Population35,579
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal29.9 in.
- FIPS31119
Where Madison County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Madison County sits at #815, the top 30% nationally - #21 of 93 within Nebraska. Nebraska counties average 20.2 psf; Madison County runs 0.2 psf lower than that.
Near 41.9099°N 97.6069°W, FIPS 31119: Madison County counts 35,579 residents and a 25 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Madison County
Most winters bring Madison County roughly 29.9 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at NORFOLK KARL STEFAN AP, NE US, 10.2 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Madison 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 Madison County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.