Richmond County, VA Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
Richmond County, VA: your roof's ASCE 7 snow number, in plain English
Richmond County's roofs are built to hold 20 psf of snow, the ASCE 7-22 figure a permit reviewer checks first. ASCE 7's low-slope-roof minimum (§7.3.4) raises the governing figure to 20 psf - higher than the 14 psf the ground-load formula alone would give, and the code says use the larger one.
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. 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.
Richmond County, VA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#1,119 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#76 of 110
- Population9,215
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal8.5 in.
- FIPS51159
Richmond County by the numbers
Nationally that's #1,119 out of 2,758 rated counties, the top 41%; within Virginia alone, Richmond County ranks #76 of 110. 18.3 psf is Virginia's typical county figure - Richmond County beats it by 1.7 psf.
Richmond County, FIPS 51159, is home to 9,215 people near 37.9429°N 76.7306°W. Its 20 psf ground snow load figure is the map value; 20 psf is what a roof is actually designed for.
Richmond County's snowfall, most winters
8.5 in. a year: that's Richmond County's NOAA 1991-2020 snowfall normal, measured at N, VA US (38.6 mi away). That station is far enough away (38.6 mi) that local snowfall - especially at a different elevation or near a lake - can run noticeably higher or lower than this figure. See the density guide.
Before you rely on Richmond County's number
Treat the Richmond 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.)