Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region Snow Load: 21 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Southeastern 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.

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region in numbers

• Design roof snow load21 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map30 psf
• National rank#401 of 2,758
• Connecticut rank#8 of 9
• Population282,602
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal27.8 in.
• FIPS09180

How Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region compares

21 psf ranks #401 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 15%) - and #8 of 9 in Connecticut. Connecticut counties average 22.6 psf; Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region runs 1.6 psf lower than that.

Population 282,602 (FIPS 09180), roughly 41.4848°N 72.1017°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 Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT

NOAA's 30-year normal for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region: 27.8 in. of snow a year, from the NORWICH PUBLIC UTILITY PLT, CT US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Southeastern 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.

Southeastern 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.)