DeKalb County, AL Roof Snow Load - 10 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in DeKalb County
That's DeKalb County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 10 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 7 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 22 in. of fresh powder, 8 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 2 in. if it's turned to ice. A modest addition to standard roof loading. Ordinary residential construction handles this without extra bracing.
Got real snow on a DeKalb County roof right now?
DeKalb County, AL: quick facts
- Design roof snow load10 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map10 psf
- National rank#1,738 of 2,758
- Alabama rank#7 of 67
- Population73,122
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal5 in.
- FIPS01049
Where DeKalb County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, DeKalb County sits at #1,738, the top 63% nationally - #7 of 67 within Alabama. That's 4.4 psf above Alabama's own county-average design load of 5.6 psf.
Near 34.4609°N 85.804°W, FIPS 01049: DeKalb County counts 73,122 residents and a 10 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 10 psf.
How much it actually snows in DeKalb County
Most winters bring DeKalb County roughly 5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at VALLEY HEAD, AL US, 13.5 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
DeKalb 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 DeKalb County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.