Snow load data · FL
Ground snow load in Florida
By Nivometra · Updated September 28, 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.
- measurement stations
- 205
- station-years of observations
- 5,815
- stations with a 50-year estimate
- 0
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 ground snow load 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.