McPherson County, SD Roof Snow Load - 35 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in McPherson County
That's McPherson 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 77 in. of fresh powder, 28 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 7 in. if it's turned to ice. 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.
McPherson County, SD: quick facts
- Design roof snow load35 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
- National rank#214 of 2,758
- South Dakota rank#18 of 65
- Population2,307
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal42.4 in.
- FIPS46089
Where McPherson County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, McPherson County sits at #214, the top 8% nationally - #18 of 65 within South Dakota. That's 6.8 psf above South Dakota's own county-average design load of 28.2 psf.
Near 45.7842°N 99.2114°W, FIPS 46089: McPherson County counts 2,307 residents and a 50 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 35 psf.
How much it actually snows in McPherson County
Most winters bring McPherson County roughly 42.4 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at ASHLEY, ND US, 19.4 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
McPherson 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 McPherson County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.