SnowLoadCheck

Forsyth County, NC Roof Snow Load - 15 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Forsyth County, NC?

Moderate
15 psf

15 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Forsyth County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Forsyth 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.

Picture it, not just weigh it: 33 in. if it's fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles, or a mere 3 in. if it's ice. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.

Snow on Forsyth County's roofs right now?

in. of

Forsyth County at a glance

How Forsyth County compares

15 psf ranks #1,313 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 48%) - and #11 of 100 in North Carolina. 12.9 psf is North Carolina's typical county figure - Forsyth County beats it by 2.1 psf.

Population 398,143 (FIPS 37067), roughly 36.1325°N 80.257°W. The 15 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 15 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Forsyth County, NC

NOAA's 30-year normal for Forsyth County: 6.2 in. of snow a year, from the KING, NC US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Forsyth County figure assumes

This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.

Forsyth County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. Details: the calculation guide.