Snow load calculator for NM mountain homes.
Standard NM code (Albuquerque, Santa Fe) assumes 30 psf ground snow. Taos, Los Alamos, Ruidoso, and Cloudcroft demand 55–120 psf. Wrong assumption = collapsed carports and cracked trusses.
Taos · 6:12 · asphalt
Per ASCE 7-22 Fig 7.2-1 for this elevation. NM amendment values.
0.7 × Ce 1 × Ct 1 × Is 1 × pg 55
Slope factor Cs = 1.00 for asphalt at 6:12.
No upper roof adjacent.
Use for truss and rafter sizing. Multiply by tributary area for member loads.
Rule of thumb: if your neighborhood is above 7,500 ft and your existing carport or porch was built to Albuquerque code (30 psf), it is under-designed by 2–3× for a Cloudcroft or Angel Fire winter. Retrofit before the next big storm.
What we see after a big snow year.
Slick metal + heated attic + 8:12 pitch = 400 lb of snow sliding onto the car below. Fix: snow guards in a diamond pattern above every door and driveway.
3-ft drift lands on 30-psf porch. Trusses split at the heel. Fix: engineer verifies drift zone; add posts or size for full drift.
Warm attic melts underside, refreezes at cold eave, water backs up under shingles. Fix: 24-inch minimum ice-and-water shield + air-seal + insulate to R-60.
Building or re-roofing above 7,000 ft? Free snow-load review — (505) 595-7203.
Book the free on-site inspection, or send a photo and we'll tell you what to do next. No sales pitch — we don't install roofs.