Limestone County, AL Roof Snow Load - 10 psf
Limestone County, AL: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Limestone County's roofs are built to hold 10 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 10 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 7 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 22 inches of fresh, light snow, 8 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 2 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 modest add-on to standard roof loading - ordinary residential construction carries it without extra bracing.
Limestone County, AL: quick facts
- Design roof snow load10 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map10 psf
- National rank#1,701 of 2,758
- Alabama rank#3 of 67
- Population118,942
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal1.3 in.
- FIPS01083
Limestone County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,701 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 62%; within Alabama alone, Limestone County ranks #3 of 67. Alabama counties average 5.6 psf; Limestone County runs 4.4 psf higher than that.
Limestone County, FIPS 01083, is home to 118,942 people near 34.8102°N 86.9814°W. Its 10 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 10 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Limestone County's snowfall, most winters
1.3 in. a year: that's Limestone County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at ATHENS, AL US (3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Limestone County's number
Treat the Limestone 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.