Athens County, OH Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Athens County, OH?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Athens County to carry. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 17.5 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 in. if it's ice. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.
Athens County, OH: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#703 of 2,758
- Ohio rank#39 of 86
- Population63,218
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal11.5 in.
- FIPS39009
How Athens County compares
20 psf ranks #703 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 25%) - and #39 of 86 in Ohio. Athens County's figure lands almost exactly on Ohio's own county-average of 20 psf.
Population 63,218 (FIPS 39009), roughly 39.3328°N 82.0459°W. The 25 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Athens County, OH
NOAA's 30-year normal for Athens County: 11.5 in. of snow a year, from the NELSONVILLE, OH US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Athens County figure assumes
This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.
Athens County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. (How this figure is calculated.)