Cherokee County, AL Roof Snow Load - 5 psf
Cherokee County, AL: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Cherokee County's roofs are built to hold 5 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 3.5 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 5 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 11 inches of fresh, light snow, 4 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 1 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 modest addition to standard roof loading. Ordinary residential construction handles this without extra bracing.
Cherokee County, AL: quick facts
- Design roof snow load5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map5 psf
- National rank#2,253 of 2,758
- Alabama rank#35 of 67
- Population26,138
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.1 in.
- FIPS01019
Cherokee County by the numbers
Nationally that's #2,253 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 82%; within Alabama alone, Cherokee County ranks #35 of 67. Alabama counties average 5.6 psf; Cherokee County runs 0.6 psf lower than that.
Cherokee County, FIPS 01019, is home to 26,138 people near 34.0695°N 85.6542°W. Its 5 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 5 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Cherokee County's snowfall, most winters
0.1 in. a year: that's Cherokee County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at JACKSONVILLE, AL US (18.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Cherokee County's number
Treat the Cherokee 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. (How this figure is calculated.)