Roseau County, MN Roof Snow Load - 42 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Roseau County, MN?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 92.4 in. if it's fresh powder, 33.6 in. once it settles, or a mere 8.4 in. if it's ice. 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.

Roseau County, MN: quick facts

• Design roof snow load42 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map60 psf
• National rank#64 of 2,758
• Minnesota rank#20 of 87
• Population15,265
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal45.9 in.
• FIPS27135

How Roseau County compares

42 psf ranks #64 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 2%) - and #20 of 87 in Minnesota. 37.4 psf is Minnesota's typical county figure - Roseau County beats it by 4.6 psf.

Population 15,265 (FIPS 27135), roughly 48.7611°N 95.8215°W. The 60 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 42 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Roseau County, MN

NOAA's 30-year normal for Roseau County: 45.9 in. of snow a year, from the CAMP NORRIS DNR, MN US station. That station is far enough away (31 mi) that local snowfall - especially at a different elevation or near a lake - can run noticeably higher or lower than this figure. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Roseau County figure assumes

This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.

Roseau County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. Details: the calculation guide.