Putnam County, WV Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Putnam County, WV?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Putnam County to carry. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Putnam 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.
Putnam County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#713 of 2,758
- West Virginia rank#6 of 34
- Population57,067
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal10.7 in.
- FIPS54079
How Putnam County compares
20 psf ranks #713 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 26%) - and #6 of 34 in West Virginia. Putnam County's figure lands almost exactly on West Virginia's own county-average of 20 psf.
Population 57,067 (FIPS 54079), roughly 38.5105°N 81.9061°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 Putnam County, WV
NOAA's 30-year normal for Putnam County: 10.7 in. of snow a year, from the WINFIELD LOCKS, WV US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Putnam 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.
Putnam 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. Details: the calculation guide.