Orange County, IN Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
Orange County, IN: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Orange 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 Orange 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. This is a meaningful design load - most modern-code homes handle it fine, though an addition, a carport or a flat-roofed section can be a weak spot.
Orange County in numbers
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,471 of 2,758
- Indiana rank#86 of 89
- Population19,824
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal13.6 in.
- FIPS18117
Orange County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,471 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 53%; within Indiana alone, Orange County ranks #86 of 89. Indiana counties average 19.3 psf; Orange County runs 4.3 psf lower than that.
Orange County, FIPS 18117, is home to 19,824 people near 38.5474°N 86.4893°W. Its 15 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 15 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Orange County's snowfall, most winters
13.6 in. a year: that's Orange County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at SHOALS 8 S, IN US (16.5 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Orange County's number
Treat the Orange 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. See the methodology guide.