Mitchell County, IA Roof Snow Load - 28 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Mitchell County, IA?

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. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.

Mitchell County, IA: quick facts

• Design roof snow load28 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map40 psf
• National rank#262 of 2,758
• Iowa rank#4 of 99
• Population10,632
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal39.6 in.
• FIPS19131

How Mitchell County compares

28 psf ranks #262 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 9%) - and #4 of 99 in Iowa. That's 6.3 psf above Iowa's own county-average design load of 21.7 psf.

Population 10,632 (FIPS 19131), roughly 43.3486°N 92.7845°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 Mitchell County, IA

NOAA's 30-year normal for Mitchell County: 39.6 in. of snow a year, from the OSAGE, IA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Mitchell 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.

Mitchell 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.)