York County, ME Roof Snow Load - 42 psf
York County, ME: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
York 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.
York County at a glance
- Design roof snow load42 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map60 psf
- National rank#26 of 2,758
- Maine rank#7 of 12
- Population220,143
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal70.1 in.
- FIPS23031
York County by the numbers
Nationally that's #26 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 1%; within Maine alone, York County ranks #7 of 12. Maine counties average 47.8 psf; York County runs 5.8 psf lower than that.
York County, FIPS 23031, is home to 220,143 people near 43.426°N 70.6684°W. Its 60 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 42 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
York County's snowfall, most winters
70.1 in. a year: that's York County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at CAPE NEDDICK, ME US (14 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on York County's number
Treat the York 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. See the methodology guide.