Scott County, MN Roof Snow Load - 35 psf

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

Picture it, not just weigh it: 77 in. if it's fresh powder, 28 in. once it settles, or a mere 7 in. if it's ice. This is a serious structural load - older homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or ones with low-slope or flat roof sections, are worth having checked.

Scott County at a glance

• Design roof snow load35 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
• National rank#103 of 2,758
• Minnesota rank#37 of 87
• Population157,206
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal39.8 in.
• FIPS27139

How Scott County compares

35 psf ranks #103 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 4%) - and #37 of 87 in Minnesota. That's 2.4 psf below Minnesota's own county-average design load of 37.4 psf.

Population 157,206 (FIPS 27139), roughly 44.6518°N 93.5337°W. The 50 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 35 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Scott County, MN

NOAA's 30-year normal for Scott County: 39.8 in. of snow a year, from the JORDAN 1SSW, MN US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Scott 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.

Scott 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. (How this figure is calculated.)