Shawnee County, KS Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Shawnee County, KS: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Shawnee County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. 14 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Shawnee County's 20 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
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.
Shawnee County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#596 of 2,758
- Kansas rank#2 of 105
- Population177,942
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal17.1 in.
- FIPS20177
Shawnee County by the numbers
Nationally that's #596 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 22%; within Kansas alone, Shawnee County ranks #2 of 105. Kansas counties average 18.2 psf; Shawnee County runs 1.8 psf higher than that.
Shawnee County, FIPS 20177, is home to 177,942 people near 39.0418°N 95.7557°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Shawnee County's snowfall, most winters
17.1 in. a year: that's Shawnee County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at TOPEKA MUNI AP, KS US (7.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Shawnee County's number
Treat the Shawnee 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. See the methodology guide.