Burke County, NC Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Burke County
That's Burke 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 Burke County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 15 psf, not the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 33 in. of fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 3 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.
Burke County at a glance
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,345 of 2,758
- North Carolina rank#24 of 100
- Population88,545
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal4.5 in.
- FIPS37023
Where Burke County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Burke County sits at #1,345, the top 49% nationally - #24 of 100 within North Carolina. That's 2.1 psf above North Carolina's own county-average design load of 12.9 psf.
Near 35.7462°N 81.7062°W, FIPS 37023: Burke County counts 88,545 residents and a 15 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 15 psf.
How much it actually snows in Burke County
Most winters bring Burke County roughly 4.5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at MORGANTON, NC US, 2.2 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Burke 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 Burke County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.