La Paz County, AZ Roof Snow Load - 0 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in La Paz County, AZ?
0 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in La Paz County to carry.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 0 in. if it's fresh powder, 0 in. once it settles, or a mere 0 in. if it's ice. This county’s ground snow load maps to zero - snow load is not a driver of roof design here.
La Paz County, AZ: quick facts
- Design roof snow load0 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map0 psf
- National rank#2,685 of 2,758
- Arizona rank#13 of 13
- Population16,992
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.2 in.
- FIPS04012
How La Paz County compares
0 psf ranks #2,685 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 97%) - and #13 of 13 in Arizona. Arizona counties average 0.4 psf; La Paz County runs 0.4 psf lower than that.
Population 16,992 (FIPS 04012), roughly 33.7276°N 114.0388°W. The 0 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 0 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in La Paz County, AZ
NOAA's 30-year normal for La Paz County: 0.2 in. of snow a year, from the QUARTZSITE, AZ US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this La Paz County figure assumes
This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.
La Paz County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. (How this figure is calculated.)