Hamilton County, TN Roof Snow Load - 10 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Hamilton County, TN?
10 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Hamilton County to carry. 7 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Hamilton County's 10 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 22 in. if it's fresh powder, 8 in. once it settles, or a mere 2 in. if it's ice. Standard residential construction handles a load this size without extra bracing; it is a modest addition on top of ordinary roof loading.
Hamilton County, TN: quick facts
- Design roof snow load10 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map10 psf
- National rank#1,662 of 2,758
- Tennessee rank#9 of 95
- Population386,256
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal4.3 in.
- FIPS47065
How Hamilton County compares
10 psf ranks #1,662 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 60%) - and #9 of 95 in Tennessee. 10.3 psf is Tennessee's typical county figure - Hamilton County comes in 0.3 psf under it.
Population 386,256 (FIPS 47065), roughly 35.1592°N 85.2023°W. The 10 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 10 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Hamilton County, TN
NOAA's 30-year normal for Hamilton County: 4.3 in. of snow a year, from the SODDY DAISY-MOWBRAY MTN, TN US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Hamilton 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.
Hamilton 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.