Richardson County, NE Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Richardson County
That's Richardson 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 20 psf - higher than the 14 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 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 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.
Richardson County, NE: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,156 of 2,758
- Nebraska rank#45 of 93
- Population7,666
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal23.4 in.
- FIPS31147
Where Richardson County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Richardson County sits at #1,156, the top 42% nationally - #45 of 93 within Nebraska. 20.2 psf is Nebraska's typical county figure - Richardson County comes in 0.2 psf under it.
Near 40.1237°N 95.7186°W, FIPS 31147: Richardson County counts 7,666 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Richardson County
Most winters bring Richardson County roughly 23.4 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at SHUBERT 2SW, NE US, 5.6 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Richardson 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 Richardson County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.