Washington County, KS Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Washington County
That's Washington County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. §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.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to 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.
Washington County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#1,206 of 2,758
- Kansas rank#44 of 105
- Population5,572
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal14.4 in.
- FIPS20201
Where Washington County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Washington County sits at #1,206, the top 44% nationally - #44 of 105 within Kansas. 18.2 psf is Kansas's typical county figure - Washington County beats it by 1.8 psf.
Near 39.7767°N 97.0956°W, FIPS 20201: Washington County counts 5,572 residents and a 25 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Washington County
Most winters bring Washington County roughly 14.4 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at WASHINGTON, KS US, 3.1 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Washington County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.
Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Washington County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.