New Kent County, VA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in New Kent County, VA?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in New Kent County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in New Kent County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 20 psf, not the 14 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 in. if it's 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.
New Kent County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#891 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#49 of 110
- Population27,218
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal8.5 in.
- FIPS51127
How New Kent County compares
20 psf ranks #891 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 32%) - and #49 of 110 in Virginia. Virginia counties average 18.3 psf; New Kent County runs 1.7 psf higher than that.
Population 27,218 (FIPS 51127), roughly 37.5102°N 76.9993°W. The 20 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in New Kent County, VA
NOAA's 30-year normal for New Kent County: 8.5 in. of snow a year, from the N, VA US station. 31 mi is a real gap between New Kent County and its nearest reporting station, so local snowfall can diverge from this figure, especially near elevation changes. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this New Kent County figure assumes
This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.
New Kent County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. See the methodology guide.