SnowLoadCheck

Thomas County, NE Roof Snow Load - 20 psf

Thomas County, NE: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
20 psf

Thomas County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 17.5 psf the base ground-load formula gives.

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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.

Thomas County in numbers

Thomas County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,299 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 47%; within Nebraska alone, Thomas County ranks #86 of 93. 20.2 psf is Nebraska's typical county figure - Thomas County comes in 0.2 psf under it.

Thomas County, FIPS 31171, is home to 634 people near 41.8557°N 100.5247°W. Its 25 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Thomas County's snowfall, most winters

37.4 in. a year: that's Thomas County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at STAPLETON 5W, NE US (27.7 mi away). That station is far enough away (27.7 mi) that local snowfall - especially at a different elevation or near a lake - can run noticeably higher or lower than this figure. See the density guide.

Before you rely on Thomas County's number

Treat the Thomas 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.