Lauderdale County, MS Roof Snow Load - 5 psf
Lauderdale County, MS: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Lauderdale County's roofs are built to hold 5 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 3.5 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 5 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 11 inches of fresh, light snow, 4 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 1 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. Standard residential construction handles a load this size without extra bracing; it is a modest addition on top of ordinary roof loading.
Lauderdale County at a glance
- Design roof snow load5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map5 psf
- National rank#2,159 of 2,758
- Mississippi rank#39 of 82
- Population70,588
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.7 in.
- FIPS28075
Lauderdale County by the numbers
Nationally that's #2,159 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 78%; within Mississippi alone, Lauderdale County ranks #39 of 82. 6.5 psf is Mississippi's typical county figure - Lauderdale County comes in 1.5 psf under it.
Lauderdale County, FIPS 28075, is home to 70,588 people near 32.404°N 88.6605°W. Its 5 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 5 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Lauderdale County's snowfall, most winters
0.7 in. a year: that's Lauderdale County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at TOPTON 2, MS US (5.4 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Lauderdale County's number
Treat the Lauderdale 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.