CALIFORNIA · FRESNO

Fresno wind loads, where seismic leads and wind follows

On the San Joaquin Valley floor, ringed by the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, Fresno sees some of California's lowest design winds, so cladding and ag structures decide the wind story.

85–95MPH DESIGN WIND (RISK II)
FresnoCOUNTY, CALIFORNIA
CBCTITLE 24 · ASCE 7-22
B / CEXPOSURE CATEGORY

CYAN · WIND CLIMATE

A sheltered valley with mild design winds

Mountains on both flanks shield the mid-valley city, so Fresno carries low wind hazard, and the lateral system is usually sized by earthquake, not by gusts.

Double mountain shield

Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada flank the valley, keeping severe storm winds away from the floor.

LOW WIND HAZARD

Seismic governs the system

Near the San Andreas system, earthquake forces typically size shear walls and frames, not wind.

SEISMIC LEADS

Wind still owns the envelope

Roofing, cladding, and lightweight ag buildings remain governed by component and cladding pressures.

C&C CONTROLS

CYAN · TERRAIN & EXPOSURE

Urban Fresno reads B, open farmland reads C

As the agricultural heart of Fresno County, the city's edge dissolves into orchards, vineyards, and open row crops, so exposure can shift sharply at the urban boundary.

Exposure B — built-up Fresno

Downtown and established neighborhoods present continuous obstructions that qualify as Exposure B.

URBAN B

Exposure C — open ag land

Orchards and open row-crop terrain around the city read Exposure C, lifting velocity pressure noticeably.

FARMLAND C

Per ASCE 7-22 Table 26.10-1, low-rise C exposure (Kz 0.85) versus B (Kz 0.70) is roughly a 40% jump in velocity pressure at the same wind speed, so calling the boundary correctly matters more here than the mph value does.

COMPLIANCE · ASCE 7-22

Four inputs for a Fresno County submittal

Every Fresno wind-load package under the California Building Code reduces to these decisions.

Design wind speed

85–95 mph 3-second gust for Risk Category II; higher categories read a longer-MRI map.

85–95 MPH

Exposure category

Resolve B or C per ASCE 7 §26.7 from upwind roughness, direction by direction.

B OR C

Code & standard

California Building Code (Title 24) referencing ASCE 7-22 for the wind calculation.

CBC · ASCE 7-22

PE seal & review

California requires a licensed PE seal on structural calculations for most projects.

PE SEAL

For large clear-span barns, packing houses, and greenhouses, run uplift and open-building pressure coefficients carefully; lightweight ag envelopes are where Fresno wind loads bite hardest. Confirm the locally adopted edition with the authority having jurisdiction.

CYAN · OFFICIAL RESOURCES

Permitting & authorities

Source-of-truth links for Fresno and Fresno County wind-load compliance.

Fresno Building Division

City Development and Resource Management permits within Fresno limits.

CITY

CA Building Standards Commission

Statewide California Building Code (Title 24).

STATE CODE

California PE Licensing Board

Professional Engineer licensing and seals.

LICENSING

STATEWIDE · NAVIGATION

California & nearby requirements

Step up to the statewide picture or compare wind speeds across locations.

California Wind Loads

Statewide CBC and ASCE 7 wind-load overview.

STATE PAGE

All State Requirements

Adopted codes and editions by state.

ALL STATES

Wind Speed by Location

Look up design wind speeds across the map.

SPEED MAP

EMERALD · GET STARTED

Run Fresno loads in minutes

Enter a Fresno address or zip and get ASCE 7-22 MWFRS and C&C pressures, ready for a Fresno County permit submittal.

Calculate Fresno Wind Loads California Requirements