Minimum Design Parameters for Fairbanks, Alaska
- Minimum roof snow load (Pf): 50 PSF
- Minimum ground snow load (Pg): 60 PSF
- Snow exposure coefficient: 1.0
- (Note: 15% LDF is not allowed for snow loads on wood framed or wood trussed roofs)
- Basic wind speed: 90 MPH
Calculating current snow load
Snow load can be found in the following linked website.
(Snow Water Equivalent) X 5.2 = Snow in lbs/SF.
For example: 2026-02-26 08:00 | Snow Water Equivalent: 5.3 |
We take the Snow Water Equivalent: 5.3 to get 5.3 X 5.2 = 27.56 lbs/sf; Round-UP to the nearest whole number to get 28lbs/sf.
Links
Creamers Field: Data
Creamers Field: Graph
Additional Links
Chena Lakes: Data
Chena Lakes: Graph
Interactive Map: NWCC iMap
Remember this is for City of Fairbanks, conditions elsewhere can vary, and that each location will have varying conditions such as flat roof vs. gable roof. Wind and snow drifts can be issues along with ice damming, truss fatigue, wood rot, etc.…
Additional Resources
ELECTRICAL SERVICE EXHIBIT NO 1
TEMP ELECTRICAL SERVICE EXHIBIT NO 2
GROUND ELECTRODE REQUIREMENTS