Cabell County, WV Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Cabell County
That's Cabell County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 14 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
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.
Cabell County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#664 of 2,758
- West Virginia rank#2 of 34
- Population91,489
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal9.6 in.
- FIPS54011
Where Cabell County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Cabell County sits at #664, the top 24% nationally - #2 of 34 within West Virginia. Cabell County's figure lands almost exactly on West Virginia's own county-average of 20 psf.
Near 38.4196°N 82.2434°W, FIPS 54011: Cabell County counts 91,489 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Cabell County
Most winters bring Cabell County roughly 9.6 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at PEA RIDGE PSD, WV US, 3 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Cabell 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 Cabell County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.