Kent County, DE Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Kent County, DE: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Kent County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 17.5 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 20 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
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. 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.
Kent County, DE: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#589 of 2,758
- Delaware rank#3 of 3
- Population192,690
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal13.2 in.
- FIPS10001
Kent County by the numbers
Nationally that's #589 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 21%; within Delaware alone, Kent County ranks #3 of 3. Kent County's figure lands almost exactly on Delaware's own county-average of 20 psf.
Kent County, FIPS 10001, is home to 192,690 people near 39.0971°N 75.503°W. Its 25 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Kent County's snowfall, most winters
13.2 in. a year: that's Kent County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at DOVER, DE US (3.4 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Kent County's number
Treat the Kent 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.