Cleveland, OH Frost Depth & Snow Load: Ground Snow Load (2026)
Key Facts
- Ground snow load
- 30 psf
- How it compares
- Half again Columbus, Toledo and Dublin at 20 psf: lake-effect snow
- Ice shield underlayment
- Required
- Winter design temperature
- 5°F
- Also usable for
- Ohio Building Code chapter 16 structural design, where permitted
- Sheet date
- 2008; wind stated as 90 mph on the older convention: confirm currency
Summary
Cleveland sets a ground snow load of 30 pounds per square foot in the design criteria sheet its Building and Housing department publishes to complete Ohio's blank table.
City of Cleveland — Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria. One-, Two-, and Three-Family Dwellings, Section R301, the following local design criteria is established for the City of Cleveland, and shall be used in Table R301.2 (1). These criteria may also be used where permitted in Ohio Building Code chapter 16, Structural Design. GROUND SNOW LOAD: 30 Pounds per square foot. SEISMIC DESIGN CATEGORY: B. SUBJECT TO DAMAGE FROM WEATHERING: SEVERE. WINTER DESIGN TEMPERATURE: 5° F. ICE SHIELD UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED: YES.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Ohio leaves the ground snow load column empty for each jurisdiction to fill in, and Cleveland answers it in a one-page Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria sheet whose stated purpose is to establish the local design criteria to be used in Table R301.2(1). The figure is 30 pounds per square foot. That is half again the 20 psf that Columbus, Toledo and Dublin adopt, which is what lake-effect snow off Lake Erie produces. The same sheet notes that these criteria may also be used where permitted in Ohio Building Code chapter 16 on structural design, so the figure reaches beyond one- to three-family dwellings. Cleveland also requires ice shield underlayment and records a winter design temperature of 5°F. One caveat on currency: the sheet is dated 2008 and its wind figure of 90 mph uses the older allowable-stress convention rather than today's ultimate wind speeds, so confirm the current value with Building and Housing before it drives a design.
Violations & Fines
Ground snow load is a design input checked at plan review rather than a citable offence. Drawings must show the structure designed for 30 psf, with the roof value derived from it under the normal code provisions. The separately required ice shield underlayment is inspected with the roofing work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ground snow load in Cleveland?
Why is Cleveland higher than Columbus?
Does the figure apply to commercial buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
Compare Cleveland to another location·View the Ohio frost depth & snow load overview
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