Snow load data · FL
Ground snow load in Florida
Updated July 15, 2026
The federal ERDC/CRREL SR-20-1 dataset includes 205 measurement stations in Florida, with 5,815 station-years of observations, and none of them has a published 50-year ground snow load: snow deep enough to load a roof is essentially never observed. Most Florida jurisdictions set the design ground snow load to zero; always confirm with your local building department.
What these numbers are
A 50-year ground snow load is the weight of snow on the ground, in pounds per square foot, with a 2% chance of being exceeded in any given year. It is the statistical basis of the ground snow load maps in ASCE 7-16 and earlier building codes, and the form of value their site-specific case studies call for. (ASCE 7-22 moved to strength-level values on a different basis; see what changed in ASCE 7-22.)
The values above are per-station estimates from SR-20-1, the ERDC/CRREL report federal agencies use for site-specific snow load analysis. Each is derived from the snow measurements at that station, so it describes the station’s location, not your address. Between stations, the defensible way to estimate a value is the SR-20-1 case-study method: take the surrounding stations, adjust for elevation, and interpolate.
Getting a value for a specific Florida address
If you own a building, your design snow load is set by your local building department; the guide on how much snow a roof can hold explains what the number means for an existing roof.
If you are designing one, a formal report is rarely needed in Florida, but if a reviewer asks you to document a zero-or-near-zero value, a site-specific case study is the defensible way to do it.
Ground snow load data for all states
This guide is educational content, not engineering advice. Structural decisions for a specific building should be made by a licensed engineer or your local building official.