Sitka City and Borough, AK Roof Snow Load - 35 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Sitka City and Borough, AK?

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. 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.

Sitka City and Borough, AK: quick facts

• Design roof snow load35 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
• National rank#185 of 2,758
• Alaska rank#4 of 4
• Population8,355
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal111.7 in.
• FIPS02220

How Sitka City and Borough compares

35 psf ranks #185 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 7%) - and #4 of 4 in Alaska. 38.5 psf is Alaska's typical county figure - Sitka City and Borough comes in 3.5 psf under it.

Population 8,355 (FIPS 02220), roughly 57.1932°N 135.3674°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 Sitka City and Borough, AK

NOAA's 30-year normal for Sitka City and Borough: 111.7 in. of snow a year, from the PELICAN, AK US station. Worth noting: the nearest station reporting snowfall normals sits 61.6 mi from Sitka City and Borough's center, so treat this as a regional figure rather than an exact one. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Sitka City and Borough 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.

Sitka City and Borough'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.