Thomas County, KS Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Thomas County, KS?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Thomas County to carry. 14 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Thomas 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.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 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.
Thomas County, KS: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,153 of 2,758
- Kansas rank#34 of 105
- Population7,802
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal27.2 in.
- FIPS20193
How Thomas County compares
20 psf ranks #1,153 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 42%) - and #34 of 105 in Kansas. 18.2 psf is Kansas's typical county figure - Thomas County beats it by 1.8 psf.
Population 7,802 (FIPS 20193), roughly 39.3577°N 101.0834°W. The 20 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Thomas County, KS
NOAA's 30-year normal for Thomas County: 27.2 in. of snow a year, from the COLBY 1SW, KS US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Thomas 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.
Thomas 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.