On multiple factors including.
Best roof pitch for snow load.
Even in these arid regions so called flat roofs are still installed with a slight pitch to keep water from pooling on top of the structure.
This will extend the life of your roof.
The safest way to determine the pitch of an existing roof is to measure from inside your attic using a level tape measure and pencil.
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Flat roofs are common with industrial buildings boasting wide roof spans and are also popular in dry climates for houses where there is no need for the roof to help disperse rain and snow.
Your best bet is to hold the snow load and let it melt slowly.
If you live in the us our snow load calculator compares the total weight on your roof with the permissible load calculated according to the standards issued by the american society of civil engineers regarding the minimum design loads for buildings and other structures asce7 16.
If you are building a new roof however consider the climate to determine the correct pitch and proper materials.
Snow will slide off at just about any pitch.
If you put extra spikes or hangers in the gutters and a gutter cover that will help allow the snow to slide off.
Ground snow load value.
Roof snow load is defined as the weight of snow on the roof surface used in design of the building structure ibc 2012.