Mathews County, VA Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Mathews County
That's Mathews County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 15 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 10.5 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 33 in. of fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 3 in. if it's turned to 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.
Mathews County in numbers
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,567 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#97 of 110
- Population8,602
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal8.5 in.
- FIPS51115
Where Mathews County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Mathews County sits at #1,567, the top 57% nationally - #97 of 110 within Virginia. 18.3 psf is Virginia's typical county figure - Mathews County comes in 3.3 psf under it.
Near 37.4253°N 76.2688°W, FIPS 51115: Mathews County counts 8,602 residents and a 15 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 15 psf.
How much it actually snows in Mathews County
Most winters bring Mathews County roughly 8.5 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at N, VA US, 9.5 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Mathews 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 Mathews County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.