Scott County, VA Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Scott County
That's Scott County's design roof snow load per ASCE 7-22, for a typical heated single-family home - the number a permit reviewer starts from. Flat and low-pitch roofs in Scott County are actually governed by ASCE 7's §7.3.4 minimum of 15 psf, not the 10.5 psf the ground-load formula alone would produce.
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.
Got real snow on a Scott County roof right now?
Scott County, VA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,458 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#89 of 110
- Population21,388
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal5.1 in.
- FIPS51169
Where Scott County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Scott County sits at #1,458, the top 53% nationally - #89 of 110 within Virginia. Virginia counties average 18.3 psf; Scott County runs 3.3 psf lower than that.
Near 36.7128°N 82.6136°W, FIPS 51169: Scott County counts 21,388 residents and a 15 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 15 psf.
How much it actually snows in Scott County
Most winters bring Scott County roughly 5.1 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at KINGSPORT, TN US, 14.2 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Scott 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 Scott County's county-wide figure. See the methodology guide.