Falls Church city, VA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Falls Church city
That's Falls Church city's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 20 psf - higher than the 17.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to ice. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.
Falls Church city, VA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#1,027 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#66 of 110
- Population15,034
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal18.5 in.
- FIPS51610
Where Falls Church city's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Falls Church city sits at #1,027, the top 37% nationally - #66 of 110 within Virginia. That's 1.7 psf above Virginia's own county-average design load of 18.3 psf.
Near 38.8847°N 77.1756°W, FIPS 51610: Falls Church city counts 15,034 residents and a 25 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Falls Church city
Most winters bring Falls Church city roughly 18.5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at VIENNA, VA US, 6.1 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Falls Church city'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 Falls Church city's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.