SnowLoadCheck

Taylor County, IA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf

Taylor County, IA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
20 psf

Taylor County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. 14 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Taylor County's 20 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.

In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4 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. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.

Taylor County, IA: quick facts

Taylor County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,199 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 43%; within Iowa alone, Taylor County ranks #96 of 99. 21.7 psf is Iowa's typical county figure - Taylor County comes in 1.7 psf under it.

Taylor County, FIPS 19173, is home to 5,825 people near 40.7379°N 94.6971°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Taylor County's snowfall, most winters

18 in. a year: that's Taylor County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at BLOCKTON 1W, IA US (13 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Taylor County's number

Treat the Taylor 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.