I am a student doing a research paper on how roofing and weather is related. I would like to know why adobe homes in New Mexico have flat roofs and why do farm houses in Maine have roofs with steep pitches. How does the weather affect the style of the roof? If someone out there can help me out, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

There is sunny weather-flat roof-N. Mexico
There is rainy weather-sloped roof
There is snowy weather-pitched roof
There is more snowy weather-more of a pitch
There is even more snowy weather-Maine

The purpose of a roof is to keep the elements out of your living area. The roof is sloped or pitched to remove the elements in the best way possible. Snow exerts a great amount of dead load onto the structure of the roof. The snow load for a particular area is calculated and the pitch of the roof is derived from that. It is done to keep your roof from collapsing if the weight becomes greater than what the structure is designed for. So a contractor can cut costs by building a steeper roof and using less dimensional wood.

I realize this is a simplistic overview of roofs, but to delve any deeper would take you into engineering and I am sure you receive enough schooling. Good luck in your work and if you choose the building profession ....build them the correct way....