Oldham County, KY Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
Oldham County, KY: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Oldham County's roofs are built to hold 15 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Oldham County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 15 psf, not the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
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. Modern-code homes carry a load like this without issue; an older addition, a carport, or any flat-roofed section is where it is worth checking first.
Oldham County, KY: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,357 of 2,758
- Kentucky rank#25 of 120
- Population70,525
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal4.3 in.
- FIPS21185
Oldham County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,357 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 49%; within Kentucky alone, Oldham County ranks #25 of 120. That's 0.7 psf below Kentucky's own county-average design load of 15.7 psf.
Oldham County, FIPS 21185, is home to 70,525 people near 38.4001°N 85.4561°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Oldham County's snowfall, most winters
4.3 in. a year: that's Oldham County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at LOUISVILLE MCALPINE, KY US (20.1 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Oldham County's number
Treat the Oldham 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.)