Hancock County, GA Roof Snow Load - 5 psf
Hancock County, GA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Hancock County's roofs are built to hold 5 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. 3.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Hancock County's 5 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 11 inches of fresh, light snow, 4 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 1 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. This is a modest add-on to standard roof loading - ordinary residential construction carries it without extra bracing.
Hancock County at a glance
- Design roof snow load5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map5 psf
- National rank#2,398 of 2,758
- Georgia rank#84 of 159
- Population8,683
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.6 in.
- FIPS13141
Hancock County by the numbers
Nationally that's #2,398 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 87%; within Georgia alone, Hancock County ranks #84 of 159. 3.6 psf is Georgia's typical county figure - Hancock County beats it by 1.4 psf.
Hancock County, FIPS 13141, is home to 8,683 people near 33.2692°N 83.0005°W. Its 5 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 5 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Hancock County's snowfall, most winters
0.6 in. a year: that's Hancock County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at MILLEDGEVILLE, GA US (19.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Hancock County's number
Treat the Hancock 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. Details: the calculation guide.