Before You Build, Know the Snow in Your Area
Use this information as a guide in constructing a building that will hold up for many years in our rugged climate.
Find your town’s expected snow loads on this Vermont snow load map or in the listing below. Your building’s roof load rating should well exceed your town’s expected loads; we recommend a safety margin of at least 10 lbs/sq. ft, and more if local conditions warrant.
Ensure your builder and rafter manufacturer are aware of this information and supply properly rated roof trusses. If a building is properly designed and constructed for your location, concerns about collapse should be rare.
Addison County
40 lbs/sq ft: Addison, Bridport, Ferrisburgh, New Haven, Orwell, Panton, Shoreham, Vergennes, Waltham, Weybridge
50 lbs/sq ft: Bristol, Cornwall, Leicester, Middlebury, Monkton, Salisbury, Starksboro, Whiting
60 lbs/sq ft: Goshen, Granville, Hancock, Lincoln, Ripton
Bennington County
40 lbs/sq ft: Bennington, Pownal, Shaftsbury
50 lbs/sq ft: Arlington, Dorset, Manchester, Rupert, Sandgate, Sunderland
70 lbs/sq ft: Glastenbury, Landgrove, Peru, Readsboro, Searsburg, Stamford, Winhall, Woodford
Caledonia County
50 lbs/sq ft: Barnet, Ryegate, Waterford
60 lbs/sq ft: Burke, Concord, Danville, Groton, Hardwick, Kirby, Lyndon, Newark, Peacham, Sheffield, St. Johnsbury, Stannard, Sutton, Walden, Wheelock
Chittenden County
40 lbs/sq ft: Burlington, Charlotte, Colchester, Essex, Milton, Shelburne, South Burlington, Williston, Winooski
50 lbs/sq ft: Hinesburg, Jericho, Richmond, St. George, Westford
60 lbs/sq ft: Bolton, Buel’s Gore, Huntington, Underhill
Essex County
60 lbs/sq ft: all towns — Averill, Avery’s Gore, Bloomfield, Brighton, Brunswick, Canaan, Concord, East Haven, Ferdinand, Granby, Guildhall, Lemington, Lewis, Lunenburg, Maidstone, Norton, Victory, Warner’s Grant, Warren’s Gore
Franklin County
40 lbs/sq ft: Georgia, Highgate, St. Albans City, St. Albans Town, Swanton
50 lbs/sq ft: Bakersfield, Berkshire, Enosburg, Fairfax, Fairfield, Fletcher, Franklin, Montgomery, Richford, Sheldon
Grand Isle County
40 lbs/sq ft: all towns — Alburg, Grand Isle, Isle la Motte, North Hero, South Hero
Lamoille County
60 lbs/sq ft: Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Elmore, Hyde Park, Johnson, Waterville, Wolcott
70 lbs/sq ft: Morristown, Stowe
Orange County
50 lbs/sq ft: Bradford, Braintree, Brookfield, Chelsea, Fairlee, Newbury, Orange, Randolph, Strafford, Thetford, Tunbridge, Washington, West Fairlee, Williamstown
60 lbs/sq ft: Corinth, Topsham, Vershire
Orleans County
50 lbs/sq ft: Albany, Brownington, Charleston, Coventry, Derby, Holland, Irasburg, Morgan, Newport, Newport City, Troy
60 lbs/sq ft: Barton, Craftsbury, Glover, Greensboro, Jay, Lowell, Westfield, Westmore
Rutland County
40 lbs/sq ft: Benson, Castleton, Fair Haven, Proctor, West Haven, West Rutland
50 lbs/sq ft: Brandon, Clarendon, Danby, Hubbardton, Ira, Middletown Springs, Pawlet, Pittsford, Poultney, Rutland City, Rutland Town, Sudbury, Tinmouth, Wallingford, Wells
60 lbs/sq ft: Mt. Holly, Pittsfield
70 lbs/sq ft: Chittenden, Killington, Mendon, Mt. Tabor, Shrewsbury
Washington County
50 lbs/sq ft: Barre, Barre City, East Montpelier, Marshfield, Middlesex, Montpelier, Plainfield
60 lbs/sq ft: Berlin, Cabot, Calais, Duxbury, Moretown, Northfield, Roxbury, Waterbury, Woodbury, Worcester
70 lbs/sq ft: Fayston, Waitsfield, Warren
Windham County
50 lbs/sq ft: Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Dummerston, Grafton, Guilford, Putney, Rockingham, Townshend, Vernon, Westminster
60 lbs/sq ft: Halifax, Newfane, Marlboro, Whitingham, Wilmington, Windham
70 lbs/sq ft: Dover, Jamica, Londonderry, Somerset, Stratton, Wardsboro
Windsor County
50 lbs/sq ft: Chester, Hartford, Hartland, Norwich, Royalton, Sharon, Springfield, Weathersfield, West Windsor, Windsor
60 lbs/sq ft: Andover, Baltimore, Barnard, Bethel, Bridgewater, Cavendish, Ludlow, Pomfret, Reading, Rochester, Stockbridge, Woodstock
70 lbs/sq ft: Plymouth, Weston
This information is of a general nature and should be used as such, as average and extreme conditions can vary widely even within townships.
Snow Loads
Before You Build, Know the Snow in Your Area
Use this information as a guide in constructing a building that will hold up for many years in our rugged climate.
Find your town’s expected snow loads on this Vermont snow load map or in the listing below. Your building’s roof load rating should well exceed your town’s expected loads; we recommend a safety margin of at least 10 lbs/sq. ft, and more if local conditions warrant.
Ensure your builder and rafter manufacturer are aware of this information and supply properly rated roof trusses. If a building is properly designed and constructed for your location, concerns about collapse should be rare.
Addison County
40 lbs/sq ft: Addison, Bridport, Ferrisburgh, New Haven, Orwell, Panton, Shoreham, Vergennes, Waltham, Weybridge
50 lbs/sq ft: Bristol, Cornwall, Leicester, Middlebury, Monkton, Salisbury, Starksboro, Whiting
60 lbs/sq ft: Goshen, Granville, Hancock, Lincoln, Ripton
Bennington County
40 lbs/sq ft: Bennington, Pownal, Shaftsbury
50 lbs/sq ft: Arlington, Dorset, Manchester, Rupert, Sandgate, Sunderland
70 lbs/sq ft: Glastenbury, Landgrove, Peru, Readsboro, Searsburg, Stamford, Winhall, Woodford
Caledonia County
50 lbs/sq ft: Barnet, Ryegate, Waterford
60 lbs/sq ft: Burke, Concord, Danville, Groton, Hardwick, Kirby, Lyndon, Newark, Peacham, Sheffield, St. Johnsbury, Stannard, Sutton, Walden, Wheelock
Chittenden County
40 lbs/sq ft: Burlington, Charlotte, Colchester, Essex, Milton, Shelburne, South Burlington, Williston, Winooski
50 lbs/sq ft: Hinesburg, Jericho, Richmond, St. George, Westford
60 lbs/sq ft: Bolton, Buel’s Gore, Huntington, Underhill
Essex County
60 lbs/sq ft: all towns — Averill, Avery’s Gore, Bloomfield, Brighton, Brunswick, Canaan, Concord, East Haven, Ferdinand, Granby, Guildhall, Lemington, Lewis, Lunenburg, Maidstone, Norton, Victory, Warner’s Grant, Warren’s Gore
Franklin County
40 lbs/sq ft: Georgia, Highgate, St. Albans City, St. Albans Town, Swanton
50 lbs/sq ft: Bakersfield, Berkshire, Enosburg, Fairfax, Fairfield, Fletcher, Franklin, Montgomery, Richford, Sheldon
Grand Isle County
40 lbs/sq ft: all towns — Alburg, Grand Isle, Isle la Motte, North Hero, South Hero
Lamoille County
60 lbs/sq ft: Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Elmore, Hyde Park, Johnson, Waterville, Wolcott
70 lbs/sq ft: Morristown, Stowe
Orange County
50 lbs/sq ft: Bradford, Braintree, Brookfield, Chelsea, Fairlee, Newbury, Orange, Randolph, Strafford, Thetford, Tunbridge, Washington, West Fairlee, Williamstown
60 lbs/sq ft: Corinth, Topsham, Vershire
Orleans County
50 lbs/sq ft: Albany, Brownington, Charleston, Coventry, Derby, Holland, Irasburg, Morgan, Newport, Newport City, Troy
60 lbs/sq ft: Barton, Craftsbury, Glover, Greensboro, Jay, Lowell, Westfield, Westmore
Rutland County
40 lbs/sq ft: Benson, Castleton, Fair Haven, Proctor, West Haven, West Rutland
50 lbs/sq ft: Brandon, Clarendon, Danby, Hubbardton, Ira, Middletown Springs, Pawlet, Pittsford, Poultney, Rutland City, Rutland Town, Sudbury, Tinmouth, Wallingford, Wells
60 lbs/sq ft: Mt. Holly, Pittsfield
70 lbs/sq ft: Chittenden, Killington, Mendon, Mt. Tabor, Shrewsbury
Washington County
50 lbs/sq ft: Barre, Barre City, East Montpelier, Marshfield, Middlesex, Montpelier, Plainfield
60 lbs/sq ft: Berlin, Cabot, Calais, Duxbury, Moretown, Northfield, Roxbury, Waterbury, Woodbury, Worcester
70 lbs/sq ft: Fayston, Waitsfield, Warren
Windham County
50 lbs/sq ft: Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Dummerston, Grafton, Guilford, Putney, Rockingham, Townshend, Vernon, Westminster
60 lbs/sq ft: Halifax, Newfane, Marlboro, Whitingham, Wilmington, Windham
70 lbs/sq ft: Dover, Jamica, Londonderry, Somerset, Stratton, Wardsboro
Windsor County
50 lbs/sq ft: Chester, Hartford, Hartland, Norwich, Royalton, Sharon, Springfield, Weathersfield, West Windsor, Windsor
60 lbs/sq ft: Andover, Baltimore, Barnard, Bethel, Bridgewater, Cavendish, Ludlow, Pomfret, Reading, Rochester, Stockbridge, Woodstock
70 lbs/sq ft: Plymouth, Weston
This information is of a general nature and should be used as such, as average and extreme conditions can vary widely even within townships.