Pondera County, MT Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Pondera County
That's Pondera County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 15 psf - higher than the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 33 in. of fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 3 in. if it's turned to 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.
Pondera County at a glance
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,595 of 2,758
- Montana rank#26 of 29
- Population6,078
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal48.8 in.
- FIPS30073
Where Pondera County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Pondera County sits at #1,595, the top 58% nationally - #26 of 29 within Montana. That's 4 psf below Montana's own county-average design load of 19 psf.
Near 48.2286°N 112.2208°W, FIPS 30073: Pondera County counts 6,078 residents and a 15 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 15 psf.
How much it actually snows in Pondera County
Most winters bring Pondera County roughly 48.8 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at GALATA 16 SW, MT US, 30.3 mi off. 30.3 mi is a real gap between Pondera County and its nearest reporting station, so local snowfall can diverge from this figure, especially near elevation changes. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Pondera County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.
Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Pondera County's county-wide figure. (How this figure is calculated.)