NEW YORK · ONONDAGA COUNTY
Wind Loads for the Salt City, Where Lake-Effect Squalls Meet the Code
Syracuse sits in the snowbelt of central upstate New York, downwind of Lake Ontario. Design here is a wind-and-snow problem, governed by ASCE 7-22.
CENTRAL NEW YORK · WIND CLIMATE
Inland Gusts, Snowbelt Drift, One Load Case
Roughly 50 miles south of Lake Ontario, Syracuse trades hurricanes for nor'easters and relentless lake-effect bands. The governing case is rarely wind alone.
Northwest Squall Lines
Prevailing NW/W winter winds drive lake-effect bands and nor'easter gusts across the Onondaga basin.
100–110 MPHLake-Effect Snow Loads
One of the snowiest large cities in the nation. Wind-driven drift on roofs frequently outweighs uniform snow.
SNOW + WINDExposure B Urban Core
University Hill, Downtown and the dense residential grid shelter most sites; open industrial parcels can trip Exposure C.
Kz 0.70 @ 15 FTFlat-to-Rolling Terrain
The Onondaga lowlands sit near 400 ft; topographic speed-up (Kzt) stays at 1.0 across most parcels.
Kzt = 1.0Why the combination governs: a moderate inland gust pressure paired with Syracuse's heavy ground snow produces a winter load case that routinely controls roof and frame design — verify both wind-led and snow-led ASCE 7-22 combinations.
PERMIT-READY · ONONDAGA COUNTY
What a Syracuse Submittal Has to Show
New York adopts the IBC with state amendments, pointing to ASCE 7-22 for wind. A sealed package leaves nothing implied.
Design Wind Speed
Site V from ASCE 7-22 maps — 100–110 mph for Risk II, varying by exact location.
3-SEC GUSTExposure Category
B or C justified with site photos and terrain notes per Section 26.7.
B / CRisk Category
Per Table 1.5-1; higher categories read a longer-return-period speed map.
TABLE 1.5-1Snow + Drift Analysis
Chapter 7 ground snow with unbalanced and wind-driven drift on every roof step.
CH. 7MWFRS + C&C
Both whole-frame and cladding pressures for walls, roof panels and openings.
Kd 0.85NY PE Seal
Calculations stamped by a Professional Engineer licensed in New York State.
SEALEDASCE 7-22 · RETURN-PERIOD MAPS
Risk Category Sets the Speed Map
There is no importance-factor multiplier. A higher risk category simply reads a map with a longer return period and a higher mapped speed.
| Risk Category | Map (MRI) | Typical Syracuse Occupancy |
|---|---|---|
| I | 300-year | Minor storage, agricultural, low-hazard structures |
| II | 700-year | Homes, retail, offices, most campus buildings |
| III | 1,700-year | Schools, assembly over 300, large venues |
| IV | 3,000-year | Hospitals, fire/EOC, emergency shelters |
Read it right: the 100–110 mph figure is the Risk II band. Essential and assembly buildings pull a higher mapped speed for the same Syracuse site — exact mph varies by location.
UPSTATE NEW YORK · KEEP EXPLORING
From the Snowbelt to Statewide
Compare Syracuse against the wider New York wind picture and official Onondaga County resources.
New York Statewide
Full New York wind-load requirements and adopted code editions.
STATE GUIDEAll State Requirements
Browse adopted ASCE 7 editions and wind speeds across every state.
50 STATESNY State Building Codes
Official New York Department of State code adoption portal.
OFFICIALOnondaga County Planning
County planning office for local amendments and jurisdiction detail.
COUNTYSINCE 2002 · 100% PERMIT-APPROVAL TRACK RECORD
Run Your Syracuse Numbers in Minutes
Enter an Onondaga County address and get the mapped speed, exposure and ASCE 7-22 pressures in a PE-ready report.