Scotts Bluff County, NE Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Scotts Bluff County, NE: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Scotts Bluff County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 14 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 20 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4 inches of solid ice - snow that heavy is rare here but ice from a freeze-thaw cycle adds up far faster than the depth suggests. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.
Scotts Bluff County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#811 of 2,758
- Nebraska rank#20 of 93
- Population35,734
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal39.7 in.
- FIPS31157
Scotts Bluff County by the numbers
Nationally that's #811 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 29%; within Nebraska alone, Scotts Bluff County ranks #20 of 93. Nebraska counties average 20.2 psf; Scotts Bluff County runs 0.2 psf lower than that.
Scotts Bluff County, FIPS 31157, is home to 35,734 people near 41.8505°N 103.703°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Scotts Bluff County's snowfall, most winters
39.7 in. a year: that's Scotts Bluff County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at SCOTTSBLUFF 1E, NE US (3.4 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Scotts Bluff County's number
Treat the Scotts Bluff County figure as a starting point, not a final answer: it assumes standard occupancy, a heated structure and a moderately sheltered site, per ASCE 7-22's own defaults. Exposed terrain, an unheated building or a steeper roof all shift the real number.
For a real application, skip the county number and go straight to the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool - enter your coordinates and it returns a site-specific figure a plan reviewer will recognize. Details: the calculation guide.