SnowLoadCheck

Clay County, KY Roof Snow Load - 15 psf

Clay County, KY: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
15 psf

Clay County's roofs are built to hold 15 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 15 psf - higher than the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.

In depth, not weight: that's roughly 33 inches of fresh, light snow, 12 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 3 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. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.

Clay County in numbers

Clay County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,475 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 53%; within Kentucky alone, Clay County ranks #68 of 120. That's 0.7 psf below Kentucky's own county-average design load of 15.7 psf.

Clay County, FIPS 21051, is home to 19,592 people near 37.1643°N 83.7155°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Clay County's snowfall, most winters

8.6 in. a year: that's Clay County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at ONEIDA, KY US (8 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Clay County's number

Treat the Clay 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.