Graham County, NC Roof Snow Load - 10 psf
Graham County, NC: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Graham County's roofs are built to hold 10 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 10 psf - higher than the 7 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 22 inches of fresh, light snow, 8 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 2 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. A modest addition to standard roof loading. Ordinary residential construction handles this without extra bracing.
Graham County, NC: quick facts
- Design roof snow load10 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map10 psf
- National rank#2,017 of 2,758
- North Carolina rank#98 of 100
- Population8,179
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal9.4 in.
- FIPS37075
Graham County by the numbers
Nationally that's #2,017 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 73%; within North Carolina alone, Graham County ranks #98 of 100. North Carolina counties average 12.9 psf; Graham County runs 2.9 psf lower than that.
Graham County, FIPS 37075, is home to 8,179 people near 35.3484°N 83.8309°W. Its 10 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 10 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Graham County's snowfall, most winters
9.4 in. a year: that's Graham County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at TOWNSEND 5S, TN US (17.9 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Graham County's number
Treat the Graham 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.