Benton County, AR Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
Benton County, AR: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Benton County's roofs are built to hold 15 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. 10.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Benton County's 15 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 33 inches of fresh, light snow, 12 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 3 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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Benton County at a glance
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,317 of 2,758
- Arkansas rank#1 of 75
- Population321,566
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal9.5 in.
- FIPS05007
Benton County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,317 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 48%; within Arkansas alone, Benton County ranks #1 of 75. That's 4.9 psf above Arkansas's own county-average design load of 10.1 psf.
Benton County, FIPS 05007, is home to 321,566 people near 36.3378°N 94.2563°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Benton County's snowfall, most winters
9.5 in. a year: that's Benton County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at BENTONVILLE 4 S, AR US (2.5 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Benton County's number
Treat the Benton 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.