Guide · Updated October 13, 2026
How much snow can a roof hold in Utah?
The design snow load, town by town
Engineers start from the ground snow load: the weight of the heaviest snowpack expected on the ground in a 50-year period, in pounds per square foot (psf). Utah’s residential code lists it for 30 towns. For everywhere else, the code points to the Utah Snow Load Study from Utah State University, which has a public map you can search by address.
The tables cover the 82 Utah towns where we have put on roofs. Jump to: Cache Valley · Box Elder County · Bear Lake and Rich County · Ogden area · Davis County · Salt Lake Valley · Utah County
Figures marked state code are the ones Utah Code 15A-3-202 lists, at the elevation it lists. The rest are “about” figures, read from the Utah State University map at a point near the middle of town, with that point’s elevation beside it. The load changes by a few pounds across a town and climbs with elevation, so a home on the bench is designed for more than one on the valley floor. Look up your own address on the USU map for the number that applies to you. A linked town name goes to our page for that town.
Roof snow load in Cache Valley
Cache County. 41 to 54 psf across the towns below.
| Town | Ground snow load | At elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Amalga | about 43 psf | 4,445 ft |
| Benson | about 41 psf | 4,415 ft |
| Clarkston | about 54 psf | 4,875 ft |
| Cove | about 54 psf | 4,970 ft |
| Hyde Park | about 46 psf | 4,590 ft |
| Hyrum | about 47 psf | 4,705 ft |
| Lewiston | about 43 psf | 4,500 ft |
| Logan | 43 psf (state code) | 4,531 ft |
| Mendon | about 43 psf | 4,475 ft |
| Millville | about 45 psf | 4,615 ft |
| Newton | about 45 psf | 4,530 ft |
| Nibley | about 43 psf | 4,550 ft |
| North Logan | about 47 psf | 4,650 ft |
| Paradise | about 52 psf | 4,940 ft |
| Providence | about 47 psf | 4,700 ft |
| Richmond | about 47 psf | 4,675 ft |
| River Heights | about 43 psf | 4,560 ft |
| Smithfield | about 47 psf | 4,650 ft |
| Trenton | about 43 psf | 4,460 ft |
| Wellsville | about 45 psf | 4,610 ft |
Roof snow load in Box Elder County
Brigham City, Tremonton and the Bear River Valley. 36 to 42 psf across the towns below.
| Town | Ground snow load | At elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Bear River City | about 39 psf | 4,255 ft |
| Brigham City | 42 psf (state code) | 4,423 ft |
| Deweyville | about 40 psf | 4,320 ft |
| Fielding | about 42 psf | 4,375 ft |
| Garland | about 42 psf | 4,345 ft |
| Honeyville | about 39 psf | 4,270 ft |
| Tremonton | about 42 psf | 4,340 ft |
| Willard | about 36 psf | 4,270 ft |
Roof snow load in Bear Lake and Rich County
50 to 77 psf across the towns below.
| Town | Ground snow load | At elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Garden City | about 77 psf | 6,050 ft |
| Laketown | about 69 psf | 5,970 ft |
| Randolph | 50 psf (state code) | 6,286 ft |
| Woodruff | about 50 psf | 6,340 ft |
Roof snow load in the Ogden area
Weber County. 33 to 54 psf across the towns below.
| Town | Ground snow load | At elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Eden | about 54 psf | 4,980 ft |
| Harrisville | about 37 psf | 4,315 ft |
| Hooper | about 33 psf | 4,240 ft |
| North Ogden | about 47 psf | 4,700 ft |
| Ogden | 37 psf (state code) | 4,334 ft |
| Plain City | about 35 psf | 4,220 ft |
| Pleasant View | about 42 psf | 4,495 ft |
| Riverdale | about 38 psf | 4,375 ft |
| Roy | about 37 psf | 4,365 ft |
| South Ogden | about 45 psf | 4,705 ft |
| Washington Terrace | about 45 psf | 4,705 ft |
Roof snow load in Davis County
30 to 44 psf across the towns below.
| Town | Ground snow load | At elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Bountiful | about 44 psf | 4,830 ft |
| Centerville | about 34 psf | 4,280 ft |
| Clearfield | about 37 psf | 4,430 ft |
| Clinton | about 35 psf | 4,340 ft |
| Farmington | 35 psf (state code) | 4,318 ft |
| Kaysville | about 34 psf | 4,305 ft |
| Layton | about 38 psf | 4,465 ft |
| North Salt Lake | about 30 psf | 4,255 ft |
| South Weber | about 39 psf | 4,490 ft |
| Sunset | about 40 psf | 4,515 ft |
| Syracuse | about 34 psf | 4,275 ft |
| West Point | about 34 psf | 4,280 ft |
| Woods Cross | about 30 psf | 4,250 ft |
Roof snow load in the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake County, with Stansbury Park in Tooele County. 26 to 38 psf across the towns below.
| Town | Ground snow load | At elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Bluffdale | about 33 psf | 4,490 ft |
| Draper | about 38 psf | 4,800 ft |
| Magna | about 29 psf | 4,320 ft |
| Midvale | about 30 psf | 4,390 ft |
| Millcreek | about 33 psf | 4,540 ft |
| Murray | about 29 psf | 4,315 ft |
| Riverton | about 33 psf | 4,550 ft |
| Salt Lake City | 28 psf (state code) | 4,239 ft |
| Sandy | about 31 psf | 4,385 ft |
| South Jordan | about 32 psf | 4,460 ft |
| Stansbury Park | about 26 psf | 4,280 ft |
| Taylorsville | about 30 psf | 4,345 ft |
| West Jordan | about 30 psf | 4,370 ft |
| West Valley City | about 29 psf | 4,315 ft |
Roof snow load in Utah County
28 to 43 psf across the towns below.
| Town | Ground snow load | At elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine | about 43 psf | 5,090 ft |
| American Fork | about 33 psf | 4,625 ft |
| Eagle Mountain | about 36 psf | 4,880 ft |
| Genola | about 28 psf | 4,505 ft |
| Lehi | about 32 psf | 4,560 ft |
| Lindon | about 33 psf | 4,665 ft |
| Mapleton | about 36 psf | 4,745 ft |
| Orem | about 35 psf | 4,760 ft |
| Pleasant Grove | about 33 psf | 4,655 ft |
| Saratoga Springs | about 31 psf | 4,530 ft |
| Spanish Fork | about 34 psf | 4,600 ft |
| Springville | about 34 psf | 4,565 ft |
The Utah study stops at the state line, so Preston, Franklin and Weston in Idaho are not in these tables.
Ground load is not the same as roof load
The roof number is worked out from the ground number. For a flat roof the starting point is about 70% of the ground load, then it is adjusted for the roof’s slope and shape, how exposed it is to wind, and how much heat escapes through it. Steep roofs shed snow. Valleys, dormers and the low side of a two-level roof collect drifts and carry more.
These numbers apply to houses built to the code in force at the time. An older home, an addition, a carport or a shed may have been built to a lower figure.
How much does snow weigh?
- One foot of fresh snow: 3 psf if it is light and dry, up to 21 psf if it is wet and heavy (FEMA).
- Packed or old snow: every 3 to 5 inches adds about 5 psf (Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety).
- Ice: one inch weighs a little under 5 psf (FEMA).
So two feet of settled snow can weigh anywhere from about 24 to 40 psf. Add rain or an ice layer and a roof can reach its design load at a depth that does not look alarming. FEMA also warns against measuring the snow in the yard and assuming the roof carries the same: wind strips some roofs and piles drifts on others.
Warning signs of a roof under strain
FEMA lists these:
- A sagging ceiling or roof line
- Popping, cracking or creaking sounds
- Doors or windows that suddenly stick or won’t close
- New cracks in walls or ceilings, or cracked or split framing
- A severe new roof leak
If you see any of them, get everyone out and call your local building department or a structural engineer. Don’t go up to shovel it.
This has happened here. In March 2023, during the heaviest snowpack Utah has measured, the roof over a pool at a treatment center in Wellsville collapsed and about 30 people were moved out. The same day a mobile home roof in Hyrum was found sagging.
Clearing snow safely
- Use a roof rake from the ground. Long-handled and plastic. Metal rakes damage roofing and are a shock hazard near power lines.
- Stay off the roof and off ladders. Falls are the main cause of injury.
- Leave about two inches. Don’t scrape down to the shingles.
- Stand clear of the eave. Snow can let go all at once.
- Don’t use picks, hatchets or a metal shovel on shingles.
FEMA’s advice is that anything beyond a rake from the ground is a job for a qualified, insured roofing contractor.Ice dam removal is a service we offer.
Ice dams
An ice dam is a ridge of ice at the edge of the roof that holds meltwater behind it. The water backs up under the shingles and into the house. Icicles along the gutter are the usual sign.
If an ice dam is already on your roof, we remove it. Don’t chip at it with a hammer, a pick or a metal shovel: FEMA’s guidance is to keep sharp tools off the roof, and that is how shingles and gutters get broken. See ice dam removal, or call the nearest office and we will come out.
The cause is heat from the house warming the upper roof. University of Minnesota Extension and the U.S. Department of Energy’s building guidance give the same fix, in this order: seal the air leaks through the ceiling into the attic, then add insulation, then make sure the attic is vented.
The roof has a second line of defense. The residential code calls for an ice barrier where ice dams are a known problem: a waterproof membrane under the shingles, from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the line of the exterior wall. When we replace a roof we install a self-adhering ice-and-water membrane at the eaves and in the valleys.
Sources
- Utah Code 15A-3-202, Table R301.2(3), ground snow loads; Utah Code 15A-2-103 (2021 International Residential Code).
- Bean, Maguire and Sun, The Utah Snow Load Study, Utah State University with the Structural Engineers Association of Utah (2018), and the Utah Ground Snow Load Map (figures read October 2026).
- FEMA P-957, Snow Load Safety Guide (2013), and FEMA Snow Load Safety Guidance (2014).
- Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, Winter Weather risk bulletin (2019).
- University of Minnesota Extension, Dealing with and preventing ice dams; U.S. Department of Energy Building America Solution Center, ice dam prevention.
- International Residential Code section R905.1.2, ice barrier.
- FOX 13 and Utah Public Radio, March 2023 (Wellsville and Hyrum); KUTV, March and April 2023 (record snowpack).
Questions
- What is the roof snow load in Logan, Ogden and Salt Lake City?
- Utah’s residential code sets the ground snow load at 43 pounds per square foot in Logan, 37 in Ogden and 28 in Salt Lake City, each at the valley-floor elevation the code lists. Homes higher up are designed for more.
- How much snow can my roof hold?
- It depends on your town and when the house was built. As a rough guide, a Logan home built to current code is designed for something in the range of two feet of old, settled snow, and a Salt Lake Valley home for less. Older homes, additions, carports and sheds may have been built to a lower figure, so go by warning signs, not by depth alone.
- When should I remove snow from my roof?
- FEMA’s guidance is that when the build-up is minor, the risk of damaging the roof or falling outweighs the benefit. Consider it when snow is deep and heavy, when rain is forecast on top of it, or when you see any warning sign. A roof rake used from the ground is the safe way.
- Is it safe to shovel my own roof?
- FEMA says roof snow removal should be done by qualified people, and falls are the main danger. From the ground, a long-handled plastic roof rake is fine. Stand clear of the eave, because the snow can slide all at once.
- Should I clear the roof down to the shingles?
- No. FEMA says to leave at least two inches. Scraping to the surface is how shingles get torn.
- Does a metal roof handle snow better?
- Snow slides off metal more easily, so less builds up. The structure under the roof is what carries the weight, and that is the same either way.
- What causes ice dams?
- Heat leaking from the house melts snow high on the roof, and the water refreezes at the cold edge. The lasting fix is sealing air leaks into the attic and adding insulation. If you have one now, see ice dam removal. One that is already leaking is an emergency roof repair.
Ice dam or heavy snow on the roof? Call the nearest office. Free inspection and written estimate.
Logan (435) 750-9400 · Ogden area (801) 285-9400 · Salt Lake Valley (801) 807-9400
Related: Can you replace a roof in winter? · Ice dam removal · Emergency roof repair
This guide is general information, not engineering advice. Design snow loads depend on your exact address, elevation and the year your home was built. If you see signs of a roof under strain, leave the building and call for help. Last updated October 13, 2026.