Raleigh County, WV Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Raleigh County, WV: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Raleigh County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. 14 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Raleigh County's 20 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
In depth, not weight: that's roughly 44 inches of fresh, light snow, 16 inches of old, settled snow, or as little as 4 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.
Raleigh County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#687 of 2,758
- West Virginia rank#4 of 34
- Population72,379
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal20.9 in.
- FIPS54081
Raleigh County by the numbers
Nationally that's #687 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 25%; within West Virginia alone, Raleigh County ranks #4 of 34. Raleigh County's figure lands almost exactly on West Virginia's own county-average of 20 psf.
Raleigh County, FIPS 54081, is home to 72,379 people near 37.7625°N 81.2647°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Raleigh County's snowfall, most winters
20.9 in. a year: that's Raleigh County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at OCEANA 2 SE, WV US (20.4 mi away). See the density guide.
Before you rely on Raleigh County's number
Treat the Raleigh 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.)