Beaver County, PA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Beaver County, PA?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Beaver County to carry. 17.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Beaver County's 20 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Beaver County, PA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#609 of 2,758
- Pennsylvania rank#32 of 38
- Population165,540
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal19.8 in.
- FIPS42007
How Beaver County compares
20 psf ranks #609 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 22%) - and #32 of 38 in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania counties average 20.9 psf; Beaver County runs 0.9 psf lower than that.
Population 165,540 (FIPS 42007), roughly 40.6841°N 80.3507°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 Beaver County, PA
NOAA's 30-year normal for Beaver County: 19.8 in. of snow a year, from the GLENWILLARD DASHIELDS L&D, PA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Beaver 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.
Beaver 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. Details: the calculation guide.