Butler County, OH Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Butler County, OH: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Butler County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 14 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 20 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4 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. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.
Butler County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#549 of 2,758
- Ohio rank#7 of 86
- Population399,542
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal9.7 in.
- FIPS39017
Butler County by the numbers
Nationally that's #549 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 20%; within Ohio alone, Butler County ranks #7 of 86. Butler County's figure lands almost exactly on Ohio's own county-average of 20 psf.
Butler County, FIPS 39017, is home to 399,542 people near 39.4397°N 84.5657°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Butler County's snowfall, most winters
9.7 in. a year: that's Butler County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at MIDDLETOWN, OH US (10 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Butler County's number
Treat the Butler 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.