Bucks County, PA Roof Snow Load - 21 psf
Bucks County, PA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Bucks County's roofs are built to hold 21 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 46.2 inches of fresh, light snow, 16.8 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4.2 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. 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.
Bucks County at a glance
- Design roof snow load21 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map30 psf
- National rank#384 of 2,758
- Pennsylvania rank#5 of 38
- Population650,131
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal13.4 in.
- FIPS42017
Bucks County by the numbers
Nationally that's #384 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 14%; within Pennsylvania alone, Bucks County ranks #5 of 38. That's 0.1 psf above Pennsylvania's own county-average design load of 20.9 psf.
Bucks County, FIPS 42017, is home to 650,131 people near 40.3369°N 75.1071°W. Its 30 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 21 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Bucks County's snowfall, most winters
13.4 in. a year: that's Bucks County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at LAMBERTVILLE, NJ US (8.7 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Bucks County's number
Treat the Bucks 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. Details: the calculation guide.