Lancaster County, VA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Lancaster County
That's Lancaster County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 20 psf - higher than the 14 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
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. 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.
Lancaster County, VA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,085 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#72 of 110
- Population11,062
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal8.5 in.
- FIPS51103
Where Lancaster County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Lancaster County sits at #1,085, the top 39% nationally - #72 of 110 within Virginia. 18.3 psf is Virginia's typical county figure - Lancaster County beats it by 1.7 psf.
Near 37.7048°N 76.4127°W, FIPS 51103: Lancaster County counts 11,062 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Lancaster County
Most winters bring Lancaster County roughly 8.5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at N, VA US, 18.8 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Lancaster 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 Lancaster County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.