Pennington County, MN Roof Snow Load - 49 psf
Pennington County, MN: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Pennington County's roofs are built to hold 49 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 107.8 inches of fresh, light snow, 39.2 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 9.8 inches of solid ice - snow that heavy is rare here but ice from a freeze-thaw cycle adds up far faster than the depth suggests. A load this size is a serious structural matter; pre-modern-code homes and low-slope or flat-roofed sections are the ones most worth an inspection.
Pennington County, MN: quick facts
- Design roof snow load49 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map70 psf
- National rank#17 of 2,758
- Minnesota rank#4 of 87
- Population13,652
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal49.9 in.
- FIPS27113
Pennington County by the numbers
Nationally that's #17 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 1%; within Minnesota alone, Pennington County ranks #4 of 87. Minnesota counties average 37.4 psf; Pennington County runs 11.6 psf higher than that.
Pennington County, FIPS 27113, is home to 13,652 people near 48.0692°N 96.0377°W. Its 70 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 49 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Pennington County's snowfall, most winters
49.9 in. a year: that's Pennington County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at RED LAKE FALLS, MN US (17.4 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Pennington County's number
Treat the Pennington County figure as a starting point, not a final answer: it assumes standard occupancy, a heated structure and a moderately sheltered site, per ASCE 7-22's own defaults. Exposed terrain, an unheated building or a steeper roof all shift the real number.
For a real application, skip the county number and go straight to the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool - enter your coordinates and it returns a site-specific figure a plan reviewer will recognize. (How this figure is calculated.)