SnowLoadCheck

Apache County, AZ Roof Snow Load - 5 psf

Apache County, AZ: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Light
5 psf

Apache County's roofs are built to hold 5 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Apache County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 5 psf, not the 3.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.

In depth, not weight: that's roughly 11 inches of fresh, light snow, 4 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 1 inches of solid ice - snow that heavy is rare here but ice from a freeze-thaw cycle adds up far faster than the depth suggests. Standard residential construction handles a load this size without extra bracing; it is a modest addition on top of ordinary roof loading.

Apache County, AZ: quick facts

Apache County by the numbers

Nationally that's #2,169 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 79%; within Arizona alone, Apache County ranks #1 of 13. Arizona counties average 0.4 psf; Apache County runs 4.6 psf higher than that.

Apache County, FIPS 04001, is home to 64,800 people near 35.3851°N 109.4902°W. Its 5 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 5 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Apache County's snowfall, most winters

3.6 in. a year: that's Apache County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at SANDERS, AZ US (14.6 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Apache County's number

Treat the Apache County figure as a starting point, not a final answer: it assumes standard occupancy, a heated structure and a moderately sheltered site, per ASCE 7-22's own defaults. Exposed terrain, an unheated building or a steeper roof all shift the real number.

For a real application, skip the county number and go straight to the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool - enter your coordinates and it returns a site-specific figure a plan reviewer will recognize. See the methodology guide.