Schoolcraft County, MI Roof Snow Load - 49 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Schoolcraft County, MI?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 107.8 in. if it's fresh powder, 39.2 in. once it settles, or a mere 9.8 in. if it's ice. A serious structural load. Homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or with low-slope/flat roof sections, are the ones most worth having checked.

Schoolcraft County in numbers

• Design roof snow load49 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map70 psf
• National rank#22 of 2,758
• Michigan rank#7 of 70
• Population8,178
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal161 in.
• FIPS26153

How Schoolcraft County compares

49 psf ranks #22 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 1%) - and #7 of 70 in Michigan. 31.7 psf is Michigan's typical county figure - Schoolcraft County beats it by 17.3 psf.

Population 8,178 (FIPS 26153), roughly 46.0211°N 86.197°W. The 70 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 49 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Schoolcraft County, MI

NOAA's 30-year normal for Schoolcraft County: 161 in. of snow a year, from the MUNISING, MI US station. That station is far enough away (35 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 Schoolcraft 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.

Schoolcraft 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. See the methodology guide.