Wright Structural Engineers

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Code-prescribed snow loads are changing, and in some places they are changing dramatically. Many jurisdictions have only recently adopted the 2024 International Building Code (IBC), so engineers are just now beginning to design projects under these new requirements. That means architects, builders, developers, and owners may be encountering these new snow-load provisions for the first time on current projects.

The 2024 IBC includes a new approach for determining design snow loads, intended to make buildings more consistently reliable across the country. But the practical result is that some projects may now be assigned much higher snow loads than design teams are used to seeing. In some locations the change may be modest. Some locations that previously had little or no snow-load requirement may now have one. In regions where rare extreme storms could result in massive, heavy dumps of snow, the new code-prescribed loads can be surprisingly high.

That matters because higher snow loads affect roof framing, truss sizes, beam depths, column loads, foundations, connection design, and even whether certain building systems remain practical or cost-effective. In some cases, the change may materially affect construction cost, coordination, and early design decisions.

The takeaway is simple: don’t assume the snow load on your next project will be the same as it was on your last one. Before locking in budgets, roof systems, framing depths, or architectural concepts, the design team should confirm the applicable snow load under the adopted code and local amendments. Snow may not be the first thing that comes to mind in temperate places like Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, or Georgia, but under the new code, it may deserve a much earlier seat at the table.

Salvador Carrazco was honored to be invited by Ware Malcomb to play in a golf tournament supporting FrontSight Military Outreach, an organization dedicated to serving veterans and their families through community, camaraderie, support, and healing.

Thank you to Uprite Construction Corporation for putting on this meaningful event, and to Ware Malcomb for sponsoring and including us in a great day on the course for an even greater cause. We are grateful for the opportunity to support organizations that give back to those who have served.