SnowLoadCheck

Charles City County, VA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf

Charles City County, VA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
20 psf

Charles City County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Charles City County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 14 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.

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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.

Charles City County at a glance

Charles City County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,184 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 43%; within Virginia alone, Charles City County ranks #79 of 110. Virginia counties average 18.3 psf; Charles City County runs 1.7 psf higher than that.

Charles City County, FIPS 51036, is home to 6,564 people near 37.3611°N 77.0542°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Charles City County's snowfall, most winters

6.4 in. a year: that's Charles City County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at WAKEFIELD 1NW, VA US (26.2 mi away). 26.2 mi is a real gap between Charles City County and its nearest reporting station, so local snowfall can diverge from this figure, especially near elevation changes. See the density guide.

Before you rely on Charles City County's number

Treat the Charles City 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. See the methodology guide.