Buckingham County, VA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Buckingham County
That's Buckingham County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Buckingham County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 17.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to 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.
Buckingham County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#991 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#58 of 110
- Population17,115
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal12.3 in.
- FIPS51029
Where Buckingham County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Buckingham County sits at #991, the top 36% nationally - #58 of 110 within Virginia. Virginia counties average 18.3 psf; Buckingham County runs 1.7 psf higher than that.
Near 37.5739°N 78.5292°W, FIPS 51029: Buckingham County counts 17,115 residents and a 25 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Buckingham County
Most winters bring Buckingham County roughly 12.3 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at BUCKINGHAM, VA US, 4.5 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Buckingham 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 Buckingham County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.