Botetourt County, VA Roof Snow Load - Case Study Area
Why doesn't Botetourt County have a snow load number?
ASCE 7's own snow load map has no single figure for Botetourt County: the terrain is complex enough that the code (§7.2) requires an elevation-specific study rather than a county-wide value. That is the map being accurate, not a data gap.
FIPS 51023, population 34,129. 386 US counties get this same case-study treatment; Botetourt County is one of them.
Botetourt County in numbers
- Population34,129
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal11.4 in.
- FIPS51023
Botetourt County's snowfall, most winters
11.4 in. a year: that's Botetourt County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at BUCHANAN, VA US (6.9 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Botetourt County's number
Treat the Botetourt 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. (How this figure is calculated.)