Waldo County, ME Roof Snow Load - 42 psf
Waldo County, ME: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Waldo 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. This is a serious structural load - older homes built before modern snow-load provisions, or ones with low-slope or flat roof sections, are worth having checked.
Waldo County at a glance
- Design roof snow load42 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map60 psf
- National rank#35 of 2,758
- Maine rank#9 of 12
- Population40,617
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal71.5 in.
- FIPS23027
Waldo County by the numbers
Nationally that's #35 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 1%; within Maine alone, Waldo County ranks #9 of 12. 47.8 psf is Maine's typical county figure - Waldo County comes in 5.8 psf under it.
Waldo County, FIPS 23027, is home to 40,617 people near 44.475°N 69.1174°W. Its 60 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 42 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Waldo County's snowfall, most winters
71.5 in. a year: that's Waldo County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at BELFAST, ME US (8.4 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Waldo County's number
Treat the Waldo 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.