Fulton County, GA Roof Snow Load - 5 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Fulton County
That's Fulton County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. The physics-based figure alone would be 3.5 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 5 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 11 in. of fresh powder, 4 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 1 in. if it's turned to ice. This is a modest add-on to standard roof loading - ordinary residential construction carries it without extra bracing.
Fulton County, GA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map5 psf
- National rank#2,073 of 2,758
- Georgia rank#19 of 159
- Population1,090,354
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.5 in.
- FIPS13121
Where Fulton County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Fulton County sits at #2,073, the top 75% nationally - #19 of 159 within Georgia. 3.6 psf is Georgia's typical county figure - Fulton County beats it by 1.4 psf.
Near 33.79°N 84.4682°W, FIPS 13121: Fulton County counts 1,090,354 residents and a 5 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 5 psf.
How much it actually snows in Fulton County
Most winters bring Fulton County roughly 0.5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at ATLANTA 9NW, GA US, 3 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Fulton 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 Fulton County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.