SnowLoadCheck

Davidson County, NC Roof Snow Load - 15 psf

Davidson County, NC: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
15 psf

Davidson County's roofs are built to hold 15 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Davidson County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 15 psf, not the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.

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

Davidson County in numbers

Davidson County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,328 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 48%; within North Carolina alone, Davidson County ranks #17 of 100. That's 2.1 psf above North Carolina's own county-average design load of 12.9 psf.

Davidson County, FIPS 37057, is home to 177,809 people near 35.7951°N 80.2071°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Davidson County's snowfall, most winters

4.5 in. a year: that's Davidson County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at MOCKSVILLE 5SE, NC US (16.6 mi away). See the density guide.

Before you rely on Davidson County's number

Treat the Davidson 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.