Juniata County, PA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Juniata County, PA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Juniata County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 20 psf - higher than the 17.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
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.
Juniata County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#921 of 2,758
- Pennsylvania rank#38 of 38
- Population23,395
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal26.2 in.
- FIPS42067
Juniata County by the numbers
Nationally that's #921 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 33%; within Pennsylvania alone, Juniata County ranks #38 of 38. Pennsylvania counties average 20.9 psf; Juniata County runs 0.9 psf lower than that.
Juniata County, FIPS 42067, is home to 23,395 people near 40.5307°N 77.4004°W. Its 25 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Juniata County's snowfall, most winters
26.2 in. a year: that's Juniata County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at LEWISTOWN, PA US (9.7 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Juniata County's number
Treat the Juniata 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.