Swift County, MN Roof Snow Load - 35 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Swift County, MN?

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.

Swift County in numbers

• Design roof snow load35 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
• National rank#181 of 2,758
• Minnesota rank#73 of 87
• Population9,666
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal42.6 in.
• FIPS27151

How Swift County compares

35 psf ranks #181 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 7%) - and #73 of 87 in Minnesota. 37.4 psf is Minnesota's typical county figure - Swift County comes in 2.4 psf under it.

Population 9,666 (FIPS 27151), roughly 45.2758°N 95.6901°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 Swift County, MN

NOAA's 30-year normal for Swift County: 42.6 in. of snow a year, from the BENSON, MN US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Swift County 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.

Swift County'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. See the methodology guide.