Bristol County, RI Roof Snow Load - 21 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Bristol County
That's Bristol County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 46.2 in. of fresh powder, 16.8 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4.2 in. if it's turned to ice. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.
Bristol County at a glance
- Design roof snow load21 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map30 psf
- National rank#435 of 2,758
- Rhode Island rank#5 of 5
- Population50,145
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal38.1 in.
- FIPS44001
Where Bristol County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Bristol County sits at #435, the top 16% nationally - #5 of 5 within Rhode Island. Rhode Island counties average 21.7 psf; Bristol County runs 0.7 psf lower than that.
Near 41.7068°N 71.2867°W, FIPS 44001: Bristol County counts 50,145 residents and a 30 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 21 psf.
How much it actually snows in Bristol County
Most winters bring Bristol County roughly 38.1 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at TIVERTON, RI US, 6.8 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Bristol County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.
Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Bristol County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.