South Central Connecticut Planning Region Snow Load: 21 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 46.2 in. if it's fresh powder, 16.8 in. once it settles, or a mere 4.2 in. if it's ice. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.

South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT: quick facts

• Design roof snow load21 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map30 psf
• National rank#388 of 2,758
• Connecticut rank#6 of 9
• Population576,718
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal33.6 in.
• FIPS09170

How South Central Connecticut Planning Region compares

21 psf ranks #388 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 14%) - and #6 of 9 in Connecticut. That's 1.6 psf below Connecticut's own county-average design load of 22.6 psf.

Population 576,718 (FIPS 09170), roughly 41.2902°N 72.837°W. The 30 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 21 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT

NOAA's 30-year normal for South Central Connecticut Planning Region: 33.6 in. of snow a year, from the BRIDGEPORT SIKORSKY MEM AP, CT US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this South Central Connecticut Planning Region 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.

South Central Connecticut Planning Region'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.)