Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author. Photo fron CSU Chico archives · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Forbestown: 65 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 89°. In January, nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from April to June and September to October, with highs of 64–84°.
A year in Forbestown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forbestown’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forbestown’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Forbestown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Downieville, CA, 24 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forbestown’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grass Valley #2, CA, is heaviest from February through March, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 65 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Forbestown
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Downieville, CA.
Living with Forbestown’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forbestown from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forbestown and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Forbestown yet.
Climates most like Forbestown’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbestown, CA | 37° | 89° | 65" | 8.6" |
| Dahlonega, GA | 30° | 87° | 63" | 3.3" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| Porters Neck, NC | 36° | 89° | 59" | 0.9" |
| Dunlap, TN | 30° | 89° | 60" | 3.1" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Forbestown averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 64% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Forbestown compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forbestown’s place among California’s.
Forbestown weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forbestown’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grass Valley #2, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 37° | 11.9" | 0.7" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| February | 55° | 37° | 10.7" | 3.0" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| March | 58° | 39° | 9.7" | 3.0" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 5.0" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 55° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 84° | 57° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 72° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| November | 59° | 41° | 6.8" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| December | 52° | 36° | 12.4" | 1.2" | 12 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 64.7" | 8.6" | 82 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 69°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Forbestown’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Forbestown’s center.
- Snow: Grass Valley #2, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Downieville, CA, 24 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Forbestown’s climate
What is the weather like in Forbestown?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forbestown in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Forbestown get?
About 8.6 inches in a normal winter at Grass Valley #2, CA, heaviest from February through March, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Forbestown?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 61°. About 53 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Downieville, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Forbestown?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 178 frost-free days, at Downieville, CA.
What growing zone is Forbestown in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forbestown?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Forbestown getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Forbestown.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.