Forsyth County, GA Roof Snow Load - 5 psf
Forsyth County, GA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Forsyth County's roofs are built to hold 5 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Forsyth County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 5 psf, not the 3.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 11 inches of fresh, light snow, 4 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 1 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 modest add-on to standard roof loading - ordinary residential construction carries it without extra bracing.
Forsyth County, GA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map5 psf
- National rank#2,087 of 2,758
- Georgia rank#25 of 159
- Population280,096
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.6 in.
- FIPS13117
Forsyth County by the numbers
Nationally that's #2,087 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 76%; within Georgia alone, Forsyth County ranks #25 of 159. 3.6 psf is Georgia's typical county figure - Forsyth County beats it by 1.4 psf.
Forsyth County, FIPS 13117, is home to 280,096 people near 34.2251°N 84.1274°W. Its 5 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 5 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Forsyth County's snowfall, most winters
0.6 in. a year: that's Forsyth County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at CUMMING 2N, GA US (0.2 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Forsyth County's number
Treat the Forsyth 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.