SnowLoadCheck

Salem County, NJ Roof Snow Load - 20 psf

What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Salem County

Moderate
20 psf

That's Salem County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. 14 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Salem 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.

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. 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.

Salem County, NJ: quick facts

Where Salem County's figure sits nationally

Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Salem County sits at #697, the top 25% nationally - #17 of 17 within New Jersey. 20.1 psf is New Jersey's typical county figure - Salem County comes in 0.1 psf under it.

Near 39.5738°N 75.3574°W, FIPS 34033: Salem County counts 65,874 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.

How much it actually snows in Salem County

Most winters bring Salem County roughly 11.8 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at SEABROOK FARMS, NJ US, 9.5 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

Read this before you rely on it

Salem 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 Salem County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.