How many freeze-thaw cycles does Pierre see each year?

Pierre, SD sees about 105 freeze-thaw cycles per year, one of the key stresses on a commercial roof membrane in this climate.

What wind speed should a roof in Pierre be designed for?

ASCE 7 sets a basic wind speed and an Exposure Category rather than a "zone". For Pierre the governing figures are a 97.5 mph basic wind speed at Exposure C. Confirm both with the local building department before a system is specified.

How much snow does Pierre get?

Pierre averages about 26 inches of snow per year.

How fast can A-1 respond to a roofing issue in Pierre?

A-1 Roofing's typical response time in Pierre is 24 business hours.

What ground snow load and wind speed should a roof in Pierre be designed for?

Roofs here are commonly built to a ground snow load of 35 psf (ASCE 7-22 county-level aggregator estimate (Hughes County); verify with local building dept and ASCE 7 Hazard Tool.) and a design wind speed of 97.5 mph, Exposure C (ASCE 7-16 regional map-band estimate (approx. 95-100 mph); verify via ASCE 7 Hazard Tool.). Confirm current figures with the local building department before a system is specified.

How long is the roofing season in Pierre?

Pierre averages 140 freeze-free days a year, from a last spring frost around May 8 to a first fall frost around Sep 26. That is the practical window for work that depends on coating and adhesive cure times.

A-1 Roofing Commercial Services

Record SD-PIERRECOMMERCIALROOFING

PierreSouth Dakota Commercial Roofing Services

44.368°N 100.351°W

Section I. Service Area

High-wind continental with 105 freeze-thaw cycles and 88 degree F average July highs. A-1 Roofing provides commercial roofing services throughout Pierre and the surrounding South Dakota region with a documented response window of 24 business hours from dispatch.

Section II. Building Stock

State government offices, agency facilities, courthouse campus, healthcare buildings, and agency warehouses on the Missouri River

Section III. Site Specifications

Freeze-Thaw Cycles	105est. / yr
Annual Snowfall	26in
Design wind speed	97.5 mph
Avg July High	88°F
Response Standard	24 business hours

Section IV. Industries of Record

01.government
02.healthcare
03.retail
04.education
05.utilities

Section V. Field Findings

Pierre is the state capital and a hub for government building maintenance, with a large portfolio of agency-owned flat-roof facilities

At 26 inches of average annual snowfall Pierre sits mid-range for South Dakota, but its Missouri River corridor location gives it very high wind exposure

An average July high of 88 degrees F, the warmest in South Dakota, comes with the high UV exposure that degrades unprotected roofing systems

Section VI. Climate and Structural Record

Hughes County's overall FEMA National Risk Index rating is Very Low, with a composite score around 16.5. Tornado risk is Relatively Low, averaging about 0.24 events per year (49 tornadoes since 1950, including an F3 that struck Pierre on July 23, 1973), and hail risk is Very Low at roughly 3.2 events per year, while winter weather and blizzards are the county's top hazard, rated Relatively Moderate with a score near 69 and about 16.5 events per year. Structural values recorded below are a code-reference starting point; verify against the Pierre building department before finalizing a design.

Ground Snow Load	35psf ASCE 7-22 county-level aggregator estimate (Hughes County); verify with local building dept and ASCE 7 Hazard Tool.
Design Wind Speed	97.5mph ASCE 7-16 regional map-band estimate (approx. 95-100 mph); verify via ASCE 7 Hazard Tool.
Exposure Category	Category C Pierre and the surrounding Missouri River valley and plains are open, flat-to-rolling terrain, making Exposure C typical; denser downtown pockets may qualify for Exposure B case by case.
Frost-Free Season	140days Last spring frost May 8, first fall frost Sep 26.

Negligible; central South Dakota is a low-seismicity region where wind and snow govern low-slope roof design.

Commercial low-slope roofs in Pierre must handle moderate ground snow of about 35 psf plus open-terrain wind uplift under Exposure C, so membrane attachment and fastening patterns, edge-metal securement per ANSI/SPRI ES-1, and drainage and drift design at parapets and mechanical curbs are the controlling concerns, especially across the concentration of state government and capitol-complex buildings and big-footprint retail and warehouse roofs.

Percent-possible sunshine is an annualized estimate from monthly data, humidity is proxied from Huron, heating degree days reflect a single recent-year NWS figure (7,364) rather than a 30-year normal, and days-below-32 and cooling degree days are broader regional estimates; snowfall, precipitation, temperature, record extremes, days above 90, wind, and frost dates are direct NWS/Wikipedia-cited figures.

Section VII. Local Commercial Register

Anyone who works in Pierre knows the two commercial hubs are the Capitol Complex on the hill and the Sioux Avenue (U.S. 14) retail strip running east to west, with new redevelopment reshaping the downtown edge. Across the river, Fort Pierre keeps its own highway-front commercial zone. Because Pierre has no interstate, U.S. 83 south to Interstate 90 and the Pierre Regional Airport are the lifelines for materials and crews serving the state's institutional building stock.

01.Downtown Sioux Avenue mixed-use redevelopment: hotel, apartment, and retail project reshaping the downtown edge (no distinct named industrial/business park was identified in available sourcing for Pierre).(Business Park)
02.Sioux Avenue (U.S. 14/US-34), the highest-traffic corridor in town(Corridor)
03.U.S. Highway 83 linking south to Interstate 90, about 34 miles away(Corridor)
04.Regional rail crossing the Missouri River, east-west(Corridor)
05.Pierre Regional Airport(Corridor)
06.State Capitol Complex, anchoring a district of state government office buildings(District)
07.Downtown/CBD and the Sioux Avenue retail corridor(District)
08.Fort Pierre's highway-oriented commercial districts across the Missouri River(District)

Section VIII. Filing

Enter Pierre into the register

File a request and A-1 Roofing will assess your Pierre, SD roof against the specifications recorded above, then return a documented scope within 24 business hours of dispatch.

File a roofing request

Local roofing reference

Pierre roofing facts

06 data points

01How many freeze-thaw cycles does Pierre see each year?: Pierre, SD sees about 105 freeze-thaw cycles per year, one of the key stresses on a commercial roof membrane in this climate.
02What wind speed should a roof in Pierre be designed for?: ASCE 7 sets a basic wind speed and an Exposure Category rather than a "zone". For Pierre the governing figures are a 97.5 mph basic wind speed at Exposure C. Confirm both with the local building department before a system is specified.
03How much snow does Pierre get?: Pierre averages about 26 inches of snow per year.
04How fast can A-1 respond to a roofing issue in Pierre?: A-1 Roofing's typical response time in Pierre is 24 business hours.
05What ground snow load and wind speed should a roof in Pierre be designed for?: Roofs here are commonly built to a ground snow load of 35 psf (ASCE 7-22 county-level aggregator estimate (Hughes County); verify with local building dept and ASCE 7 Hazard Tool.) and a design wind speed of 97.5 mph, Exposure C (ASCE 7-16 regional map-band estimate (approx. 95-100 mph); verify via ASCE 7 Hazard Tool.). Confirm current figures with the local building department before a system is specified.
06How long is the roofing season in Pierre?: Pierre averages 140 freeze-free days a year, from a last spring frost around May 8 to a first fall frost around Sep 26. That is the practical window for work that depends on coating and adhesive cure times.

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