SnowLoadCheck

Lee County, VA Roof Snow Load - 15 psf

Lee County, VA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English

Moderate
15 psf

Lee County's roofs are built to hold 15 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. The physics-based figure alone would be 10.5 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 15 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.

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.

Got real snow on a Lee County roof right now?

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Lee County, VA: quick facts

Lee County by the numbers

Nationally that's #1,456 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 53%; within Virginia alone, Lee County ranks #88 of 110. That's 3.3 psf below Virginia's own county-average design load of 18.3 psf.

Lee County, FIPS 51105, is home to 21,780 people near 36.7017°N 83.1301°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.

Lee County's snowfall, most winters

34.6 in. a year: that's Lee County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at CLOSPLINT 4 ESE, KY US (14 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. (How this figure is calculated.)