Clay County, AL Roof Snow Load - 5 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Clay County
That's Clay County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. 3.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Clay County's 5 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 11 in. of fresh powder, 4 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 1 in. if it's turned to ice. This is a modest add-on to standard roof loading - ordinary residential construction carries it without extra bracing.
Clay County, AL: quick facts
- Design roof snow load5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map5 psf
- National rank#2,344 of 2,758
- Alabama rank#48 of 67
- Population14,239
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal1.6 in.
- FIPS01027
Where Clay County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Clay County sits at #2,344, the top 85% nationally - #48 of 67 within Alabama. Alabama counties average 5.6 psf; Clay County runs 0.6 psf lower than that.
Near 33.2704°N 85.8635°W, FIPS 01027: Clay County counts 14,239 residents and a 5 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 5 psf.
How much it actually snows in Clay County
Most winters bring Clay County roughly 1.6 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at ASHLAND 3 ENE, AL US, 5.2 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Clay 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 Clay County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.