Russell County, KY Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Russell County
That's Russell County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 15 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 10.5 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
Converted to something you can actually eyeball on a roof: about 33 in. of fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles and packs down, or just 3 in. if it's turned to ice. 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.
Russell County at a glance
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,485 of 2,758
- Kentucky rank#71 of 120
- Population18,458
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal4.9 in.
- FIPS21207
Where Russell County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Russell County sits at #1,485, the top 54% nationally - #71 of 120 within Kentucky. That's 0.7 psf below Kentucky's own county-average design load of 15.7 psf.
Near 36.9906°N 85.055°W, FIPS 21207: Russell County counts 18,458 residents and a 15 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 15 psf.
How much it actually snows in Russell County
Most winters bring Russell County roughly 4.9 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at JAMESTOWN WWTP, KY US, 1.1 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Russell 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 Russell County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.