Lee County, AL Roof Snow Load - 5 psf
Lee County, AL: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Lee County's roofs are built to hold 5 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. 3.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Lee County's 5 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
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. A modest addition to standard roof loading. Ordinary residential construction handles this without extra bracing.
Lee County, AL: quick facts
- Design roof snow load5 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map5 psf
- National rank#2,109 of 2,758
- Alabama rank#22 of 67
- Population187,847
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal0.7 in.
- FIPS01081
Lee County by the numbers
Nationally that's #2,109 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 76%; within Alabama alone, Lee County ranks #22 of 67. 5.6 psf is Alabama's typical county figure - Lee County comes in 0.6 psf under it.
Lee County, FIPS 01081, is home to 187,847 people near 32.6041°N 85.353°W. Its 5 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 5 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Lee County's snowfall, most winters
0.7 in. a year: that's Lee County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at AUBURN NO.2, AL US (6.5 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Lee County's number
Treat the Lee 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. See the methodology guide.