Washington County, MN Roof Snow Load - 35 psf
Washington County, MN: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Washington County's roofs are built to hold 35 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 77 inches of fresh, light snow, 28 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 7 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.
Washington County at a glance
- Design roof snow load35 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map50 psf
- National rank#96 of 2,758
- Minnesota rank#34 of 87
- Population283,960
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal40.4 in.
- FIPS27163
Washington County by the numbers
Nationally that's #96 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 3%; within Minnesota alone, Washington County ranks #34 of 87. That's 2.4 psf below Minnesota's own county-average design load of 37.4 psf.
Washington County, FIPS 27163, is home to 283,960 people near 45.0379°N 92.8901°W. Its 50 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 35 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Washington County's snowfall, most winters
40.4 in. a year: that's Washington County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at U OF MN ST PAUL, MN US (14.5 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Washington County's number
Treat the Washington 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.)