Laurel County, KY Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
Laurel County, KY: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Laurel County's roofs are built to hold 15 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 15 psf - higher than the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 33 inches of fresh, light snow, 12 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 3 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.
Laurel County at a glance
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,365 of 2,758
- Kentucky rank#28 of 120
- Population63,353
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal5.7 in.
- FIPS21125
Laurel County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,365 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 49%; within Kentucky alone, Laurel County ranks #28 of 120. Kentucky counties average 15.7 psf; Laurel County runs 0.7 psf lower than that.
Laurel County, FIPS 21125, is home to 63,353 people near 37.1133°N 84.1194°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Laurel County's snowfall, most winters
5.7 in. a year: that's Laurel County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at LONDON STATE POLICE, KY US (1.8 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Laurel County's number
Treat the Laurel 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.