Hancock County, WV Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Hancock County
That's Hancock County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. 17.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Hancock County's 20 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to ice. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.
Hancock County, WV: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#881 of 2,758
- West Virginia rank#13 of 34
- Population28,054
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal19.8 in.
- FIPS54029
Where Hancock County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Hancock County sits at #881, the top 32% nationally - #13 of 34 within West Virginia. Hancock County's figure lands almost exactly on West Virginia's own county-average of 20 psf.
Near 40.517°N 80.5702°W, FIPS 54029: Hancock County counts 28,054 residents and a 25 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Hancock County
Most winters bring Hancock County roughly 19.8 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at GLENWILLARD DASHIELDS L&D, PA US, 19.3 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Hancock 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 Hancock County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.