Dare County, NC Roof Snow Load - 10 psf
Dare County, NC: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Dare County's roofs are built to hold 10 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. 7 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Dare County's 10 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 22 inches of fresh, light snow, 8 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 2 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.
Dare County at a glance
- Design roof snow load10 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map10 psf
- National rank#1,810 of 2,758
- North Carolina rank#78 of 100
- Population38,183
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal1.2 in.
- FIPS37055
Dare County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,810 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 66%; within North Carolina alone, Dare County ranks #78 of 100. That's 2.9 psf below North Carolina's own county-average design load of 12.9 psf.
Dare County, FIPS 37055, is home to 38,183 people near 35.6063°N 75.7675°W. Its 10 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 10 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Dare County's snowfall, most winters
1.2 in. a year: that's Dare County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at BELHAVEN 3 NE, NC US (46 mi away). 46 mi is a real gap between Dare 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 Dare County's number
Treat the Dare 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. Details: the calculation guide.