SnowLoadCheck

Polk County, NE Roof Snow Load - 20 psf

Polk County, NE: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
20 psf

Polk County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Polk County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 17.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.

In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4 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 meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.

Polk County at a glance

Polk County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,214 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 44%; within Nebraska alone, Polk County ranks #56 of 93. That's 0.2 psf below Nebraska's own county-average design load of 20.2 psf.

Polk County, FIPS 31143, is home to 5,269 people near 41.1879°N 97.5707°W. Its 25 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Polk County's snowfall, most winters

30.3 in. a year: that's Polk County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at SHELBY 3NE, NE US (9.7 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Polk County's number

Treat the Polk 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. Details: the calculation guide.