Sussex County, VA Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Sussex County, VA?
15 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Sussex County to carry. 10.5 psf is what the ground-load formula alone gives; Sussex County's 15 psf low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) beats it, so that figure is the one that governs on flat and low-pitch roofs.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 33 in. if it's fresh powder, 12 in. once it settles, or a mere 3 in. if it's 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.
Sussex County, VA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,545 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#96 of 110
- Population10,753
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal6.4 in.
- FIPS51183
How Sussex County compares
15 psf ranks #1,545 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 56%) - and #96 of 110 in Virginia. 18.3 psf is Virginia's typical county figure - Sussex County comes in 3.3 psf under it.
Population 10,753 (FIPS 51183), roughly 36.9266°N 77.2597°W. The 15 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 15 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Sussex County, VA
NOAA's 30-year normal for Sussex County: 6.4 in. of snow a year, from the WAKEFIELD 1NW, VA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Sussex County figure assumes
This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.
Sussex County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. Details: the calculation guide.