Wilkes County, NC Roof Snow Load - 20 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in Wilkes County, NC?
20 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in Wilkes County to carry. §7.3.4's low-slope minimum of 20 psf is what actually governs on a flat or low-pitch roof here - higher than the 14 psf the base ground-load formula gives.
Picture it, not just weigh it: 44 in. if it's fresh powder, 16 in. once it settles, or a mere 4 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.
Wilkes County, NC: quick facts
- Design roof snow load20 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map20 psf
- National rank#695 of 2,758
- North Carolina rank#3 of 100
- Population66,186
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal5.6 in.
- FIPS37193
How Wilkes County compares
20 psf ranks #695 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 25%) - and #3 of 100 in North Carolina. North Carolina counties average 12.9 psf; Wilkes County runs 7.1 psf higher than that.
Population 66,186 (FIPS 37193), roughly 36.2089°N 81.1661°W. The 20 psf ground snow load ASCE 7-22 maps here becomes 20 psf once the code's own design factors are applied.
Typical snowfall in Wilkes County, NC
NOAA's 30-year normal for Wilkes County: 5.6 in. of snow a year, from the N WILKESBORO, NC US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Wilkes 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.
Wilkes 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. (How this figure is calculated.)