Graves County, KY Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Graves County, KY?
15 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Graves County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Graves 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.
Graves County, KY: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,411 of 2,758
- Kentucky rank#40 of 120
- Population36,821
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal1.4 in.
- FIPS21083
How Graves County compares
15 psf ranks #1,411 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 51%) - and #40 of 120 in Kentucky. 15.7 psf is Kentucky's typical county figure - Graves County comes in 0.7 psf under it.
Population 36,821 (FIPS 21083), roughly 36.7233°N 88.6499°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 Graves County, KY
NOAA's 30-year normal for Graves County: 1.4 in. of snow a year, from the MAYFIELD STATE POLICE, KY US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Graves 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.
Graves 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.