Hale County, TX Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Hale County
That's Hale County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 15 psf - higher than the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 33 in. of fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 3 in. if it's turned to 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.
Hale County at a glance
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,421 of 2,758
- Texas rank#8 of 254
- Population31,953
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal7.1 in.
- FIPS48189
Where Hale County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Hale County sits at #1,421, the top 52% nationally - #8 of 254 within Texas. 5.4 psf is Texas's typical county figure - Hale County beats it by 9.6 psf.
Near 34.0684°N 101.8229°W, FIPS 48189: Hale County counts 31,953 residents and a 15 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 15 psf.
How much it actually snows in Hale County
Most winters bring Hale County roughly 7.1 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at SHALLOWATER, TX US, 27.9 mi off. 27.9 mi is a real gap between Hale County and its nearest reporting station, so local snowfall can diverge from this figure, especially near elevation changes. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Hale 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 Hale County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.