Rockingham County, NC Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Rockingham County
That's Rockingham County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. The physics-based figure alone would be 14 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 20 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 44 in. of fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 4 in. if it's turned to 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.
Rockingham County at a glance
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#662 of 2,758
- North Carolina rank#1 of 100
- Population93,517
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal7.3 in.
- FIPS37157
Where Rockingham County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Rockingham County sits at #662, the top 24% nationally - #1 of 100 within North Carolina. 12.9 psf is North Carolina's typical county figure - Rockingham County beats it by 7.1 psf.
Near 36.3818°N 79.7828°W, FIPS 37157: Rockingham County counts 93,517 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Rockingham County
Most winters bring Rockingham County roughly 7.3 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at REIDSVILLE 2 NW, NC US, 4.9 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Rockingham County's number above is ASCE 7-22's default case, not a custom calculation: ordinary residential occupancy, heated, sited on ground that's neither fully sheltered nor fully exposed. Any one of those changing - pitch, exposure, heating, occupancy - moves the real figure.
Nothing here substitutes for an address-level number. Get one free, in about a minute, from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool using your own coordinates rather than Rockingham County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.