Putnam County, TN Roof Snow Load - 10 psf
Putnam County, TN: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Putnam County's roofs are built to hold 10 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Putnam County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 10 psf, not the 7 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 22 inches of fresh, light snow, 8 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 2 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. Standard residential construction handles a load this size without extra bracing; it is a modest addition on top of ordinary roof loading.
Putnam County at a glance
- Design roof snow load10 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map10 psf
- National rank#1,725 of 2,758
- Tennessee rank#20 of 95
- Population84,894
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal6.1 in.
- FIPS47141
Putnam County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,725 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 63%; within Tennessee alone, Putnam County ranks #20 of 95. That's 0.3 psf below Tennessee's own county-average design load of 10.3 psf.
Putnam County, FIPS 47141, is home to 84,894 people near 36.1409°N 85.4962°W. Its 10 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 10 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Putnam County's snowfall, most winters
6.1 in. a year: that's Putnam County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at COOKEVILLE, TN US (2.3 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Putnam County's number
Treat the Putnam 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.