Snow weight 101: what a foot of wet snow does to a roof

Two feet fell on Show Low in one February storm. Here's the math on what that weighs.

LiveShowLow · Show Low & Pinetop-Lakeside · Oct 3, 2026 · Illustration image

In February 2019, Show Low got 24 inches of snow and Pinetop-Lakeside 24.5 in a single storm, and Show Low broke its single-day snowfall record. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database

The weight adds up fast

Wet, saturated snow runs about 20 pounds per cubic foot, so one foot of it is roughly 20 pounds on every square foot of roof. City of Bend, Oregon, roof load guidance On a 1,500 square foot roof that is about 30,000 pounds from a single foot of wet snow.

That is what happened in 2010: rain fell into the existing snowpack around 7,000 feet, the load got heavier, and roofs failed, including a fire station in Pinetop-Lakeside. NWS Flagstaff, 2010 Historic Winter Storm

Signs your roof is struggling

• New ceiling cracks or doors that suddenly stick.
• Sagging along the ridge or between rafters.
• Creaking or popping under a heavy load.

If you see any of these during a storm, get people out from under that part of the house and call a pro.