Union County, PA Roof Snow Load - 24.5 psf

How much snow is too much for a roof in Union County, PA?

Picture it, not just weigh it: 53.9 in. if it's fresh powder, 19.6 in. once it settles, or a mere 4.9 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.

Union County, PA: quick facts

• Design roof snow load24.5 psf
• Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map35 psf
• National rank#327 of 2,758
• Pennsylvania rank#2 of 38
• Population42,159
• Annual snowfall, NOAA normal28.8 in.
• FIPS42119

How Union County compares

24.5 psf ranks #327 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 12%) - and #2 of 38 in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania counties average 20.9 psf; Union County runs 3.6 psf higher than that.

Population 42,159 (FIPS 42119), roughly 40.9622°N 77.0555°W. The 35 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 24.5 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.

Typical snowfall in Union County, PA

NOAA's 30-year normal for Union County: 28.8 in. of snow a year, from the LEWISBURG, PA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)

What this Union 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.

Union 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. See the methodology guide.