Shelby County, OH Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
What ASCE 7 says about snow load in Shelby County
That's Shelby 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; Shelby 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.
Shelby County in numbers
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#740 of 2,758
- Ohio rank#48 of 86
- Population47,952
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal15.2 in.
- FIPS39149
Where Shelby County's figure sits nationally
Out of 2,758 rated US counties, Shelby County sits at #740, the top 27% nationally - #48 of 86 within Ohio. Shelby County's figure lands almost exactly on Ohio's own county-average of 20 psf.
Near 40.3367°N 84.2041°W, FIPS 39149: Shelby County counts 47,952 residents and a 20 psf map value, which the code's own factors turn into 20 psf.
How much it actually snows in Shelby County
Most winters bring Shelby County roughly 15.2 in. of snow - NOAA's normal at PIQUA, OH US, 12.8 mi off. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
Read this before you rely on it
Shelby 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 Shelby County's county-wide figure. Details: the calculation guide.