Polk County, OR Roof Snow Load - Case Study Area
Why doesn't Polk County have a snow load number?
ASCE 7's own snow load map has no single figure for Polk County: the terrain is complex enough that the code (§7.2) requires an elevation-specific study rather than a county-wide value. That is the map being accurate, not a data gap.
FIPS 41053, population 90,549. 386 US counties get this same case-study treatment; Polk County is one of them.
Polk County in numbers
- Population90,549
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal9.6 in.
- FIPS41053
Polk County's snowfall, most winters
9.6 in. a year: that's Polk County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at FALLS CITY 2 SSW, OR US (5.2 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. (How this figure is calculated.)