Catawba County, NC Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Catawba County
That's Catawba County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. 10.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Catawba County's 15 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Catawba County, NC: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,329 of 2,758
- North Carolina rank#18 of 100
- Population167,054
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.3 in.
- FIPS37035
Where Catawba County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Catawba County sits at #1,329, the top 48% nationally - #18 of 100 within North Carolina. That's 2.1 psf above North Carolina's own county-average design load of 12.9 psf.
Near 35.6619°N 81.2149°W, FIPS 37035: Catawba County counts 167,054 residents and a 15 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 15 psf.
How much it actually snows in Catawba County
Most winters bring Catawba County roughly 0.3 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at RHODHISS HYDRO PLT, NC US, 14.7 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Catawba 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 Catawba County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.