York County, VA Roof Snow Load - 15 psf
How much snow is too much for a roof in York County, VA?
15 psf: that's what ASCE 7-22 requires a typical heated home's roof in York County to carry. The physics-based figure alone would be 10.5 psf, but ASCE 7's own low-slope minimum (§7.3.4) sets a floor of 15 psf for flat and low-pitch roofs here, which is the number that actually governs.
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. A meaningful design load. Most homes built to modern code handle it, but additions, carports, and flat-roofed sections are worth a second look.
York County, VA: quick facts
- Design roof snow load15 psf
- Ground snow load, ASCE 7 map15 psf
- National rank#1,355 of 2,758
- Virginia rank#82 of 110
- Population71,410
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal8.5 in.
- FIPS51199
How York County compares
15 psf ranks #1,355 of 2,758 US counties with a mapped snow load (top 49%) - and #82 of 110 in Virginia. 18.3 psf is Virginia's typical county figure - York County comes in 3.3 psf under it.
Population 71,410 (FIPS 51199), roughly 37.2209°N 76.3955°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 York County, VA
NOAA's 30-year normal for York County: 8.5 in. of snow a year, from the N, VA US station. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this York 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.
York 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.)