James City County, VA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
James City County, VA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
James City County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in James City County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 14 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4 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 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.
James City County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#673 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#23 of 110
- Population82,797
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal8.5 in.
- FIPS51095
James City County by the numbers
Nationally that's #673 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 24%; within Virginia alone, James City County ranks #23 of 110. 18.3 psf is Virginia's typical county figure - James City County beats it by 1.7 psf.
James City County, FIPS 51095, is home to 82,797 people near 37.3248°N 76.7779°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
James City County's snowfall, most winters
8.5 in. a year: that's James City County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at N, VA US (20 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on James City County's number
Treat the James City 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. See the methodology guide.