Switzerland County, IN Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Switzerland County
That's Switzerland County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. The physics-based figure alone would be 14 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 20 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to 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.
Switzerland County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,103 of 2,758
- Indiana rank#71 of 89
- Population9,988
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal6.5 in.
- FIPS18155
Where Switzerland County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Switzerland County sits at #1,103, the top 40% nationally - #71 of 89 within Indiana. 19.3 psf is Indiana's typical county figure - Switzerland County beats it by 0.7 psf.
Near 38.8259°N 85.0297°W, FIPS 18155: Switzerland County counts 9,988 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Switzerland County
Most winters bring Switzerland County roughly 6.5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at WARSAW MARKLAND DAM, KY US, 4.9 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Switzerland County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.
Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Switzerland County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.