Strafford County, NH Roof Snow Load - 49 psf
Strafford County, NH: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Strafford County's roofs are built to hold 49 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 107.8 inches of fresh, light snow, 39.2 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 9.8 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. A serious structural load. Homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or with low-slope/flat roof sections, are the ones most worth having checked.
Strafford County, NH: quick facts
- Design roof snow load49 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map70 psf
- National rank#10 of 2,758
- New Hampshire rank#3 of 4
- Population134,202
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal55.8 in.
- FIPS33017
Strafford County by the numbers
Nationally that's #10 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 1%; within New Hampshire alone, Strafford County ranks #3 of 4. That's 1.8 psf below New Hampshire's own county-average design load of 50.8 psf.
Strafford County, FIPS 33017, is home to 134,202 people near 43.2933°N 71.0356°W. Its 70 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 49 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Strafford County's snowfall, most winters
55.8 in. a year: that's Strafford County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at ELIOT, ME US (18.7 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Strafford County's number
Treat the Strafford 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.