Berks County, PA Roof Snow Load - Case Study Area
Berks County, PA: no map figure, on purpose
Berks County sits in the mountain-west terrain where ASCE 7-22 §7.2 itself declines to give a contour figure - elevation changes too fast over short distances there for one number per county to mean anything. The code requires a site-specific study for a building here, not a look-up.
Berks County, FIPS 42011, is home to 439,117 people - one of 386 US counties ASCE 7 itself routes around a map figure for.
Berks County, PA: quick facts
- Population439,117
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal27.2 in.
- FIPS42011
Typical snowfall in Berks County, PA
NOAA's 30-year normal for Berks County: 27.2 in. of snow a year, from the READING 3.5 SW, PA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Berks 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.
Berks 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.)