Gloucester County, VA Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Gloucester County, VA?
15 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Gloucester County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Gloucester 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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Gloucester County, VA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,396 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#84 of 110
- Population40,154
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal8.5 in.
- FIPS51073
How Gloucester County compares
15 psf ranks #1,396 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 51%) - and #84 of 110 in Virginia. That's 3.3 psf below Virginia's own county-average design load of 18.3 psf.
Population 40,154 (FIPS 51073), roughly 37.4035°N 76.5235°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 Gloucester County, VA
NOAA's 30-year normal for Gloucester County: 8.5 in. of snow a year, from the N, VA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Gloucester 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.
Gloucester 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.