SnowLoadCheck

Martin County, NC Roof Snow Load - 10 psf

What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Martin County

Light
10 psf

That's Martin County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. The physics-based figure alone would be 7 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 10 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.

Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 22 in. of fresh powder, 8 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 2 in. if it's turned to ice. This is a modest add-on to standard roof loading - ordinary residential construction carries it without extra bracing.

Martin County at a glance

Where Martin County's figure sits nationally

Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Martin County sits at #1,896, the top 69% nationally - #85 of 100 within North Carolina. 12.9 psf is North Carolina's typical county figure - Martin County comes in 2.9 psf under it.

Near 35.8473°N 77.1196°W, FIPS 37117: Martin County counts 21,523 residents and a 10 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 10 psf.

How much it actually snows in Martin County

Most winters bring Martin County roughly 0.5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at WILLIAMSTON 1 E, NC US, 5 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

Read this before you rely on it

Martin County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.

Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Martin County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.