Vilas County, WI Roof Snow Load - 42 psf
Vilas County, WI: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Vilas County's roofs are built to hold 42 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 92.4 inches of fresh, light snow, 33.6 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 8.4 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 serious structural load. Homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or with low-slope/flat roof sections, are the ones most worth having checked.
Vilas County, WI: quick facts
- Design roof snow load42 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map60 psf
- National rank#52 of 2,758
- Wisconsin rank#6 of 72
- Population23,948
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal73.7 in.
- FIPS55125
Vilas County by the numbers
Nationally that's #52 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 2%; within Wisconsin alone, Vilas County ranks #6 of 72. Wisconsin counties average 30.9 psf; Vilas County runs 11.1 psf higher than that.
Vilas County, FIPS 55125, is home to 23,948 people near 46.0498°N 89.5013°W. Its 60 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 42 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Vilas County's snowfall, most winters
73.7 in. a year: that's Vilas County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at ST GERMAIN, WI US (9.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Vilas County's number
Treat the Vilas 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. (How this figure is calculated.)