Lawrence County, PA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Lawrence County, PA?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Lawrence County to carry. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 17.5 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 in. if it's ice. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
Lawrence County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map25 psf
- National rank#670 of 2,758
- Pennsylvania rank#34 of 38
- Population84,233
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal27.5 in.
- FIPS42073
How Lawrence County compares
20 psf ranks #670 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 24%) - and #34 of 38 in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania counties average 20.9 psf; Lawrence County runs 0.9 psf lower than that.
Population 84,233 (FIPS 42073), roughly 40.9927°N 80.3344°W. The 25 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Lawrence County, PA
NOAA's 30-year normal for Lawrence County: 27.5 in. of snow a year, from the NEW CASTLE 1 N, PA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Lawrence 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.
Lawrence 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.)