Mecosta County, MI Roof Snow Load - 28 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Mecosta County, MI?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 61.6 in. if it's fresh powder, 22.4 in. once it settles, or a mere 5.6 in. if it's 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.

Mecosta County in numbers

• Design roof snow load28 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map40 psf
• National rank#239 of 2,758
• Michigan rank#35 of 70
• Population41,947
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal63.8 in.
• FIPS26107

How Mecosta County compares

28 psf ranks #239 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 9%) - and #35 of 70 in Michigan. Michigan counties average 31.7 psf; Mecosta County runs 3.7 psf lower than that.

Population 41,947 (FIPS 26107), roughly 43.6353°N 85.3328°W. The 40 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 28 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Mecosta County, MI

NOAA's 30-year normal for Mecosta County: 63.8 in. of snow a year, from the WHITE CLOUD 9E, MI US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Mecosta 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.

Mecosta 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.)