Forest Meadows’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Forest Meadows at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forest Meadows’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forest Meadows’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Forest Meadows feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Groveland 2, CA, 24 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Meadows’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 43 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 64 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Forest Meadows
84% of the work is heating. 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 Groveland 2, CA.
Living with Forest Meadows’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 6.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forest Meadows from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forest Meadows and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Forest Meadows yet.
Climates most like Forest Meadows’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Meadows, CA | 35° | 89° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Rock Hill, SC | 31° | 90° | 44" | 0.2" |
| Marvin, NC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 0.2" |
| Thomson, GA | 35° | 91° | 46" | 0.5" |
| Hampton, VA | 32° | 89° | 47" | 2.7" |
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 Forest Meadows averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Forest Meadows compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forest Meadows’ place among California’s.
Forest Meadows weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forest Meadows’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sonora, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 35° | 8.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| February | 55° | 35° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| March | 58° | 37° | 6.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 89° | 59° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 89° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 84° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 73° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| November | 59° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| December | 51° | 34° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| Year | 69° | 44° | 43.0" | 0.0" | 64 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Forest Meadows’ 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 Forest Meadows’ center.
- Snow: Sonora, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Groveland 2, CA, 24 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft lower; 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 Forest Meadows’ climate
What is the weather like in Forest Meadows?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Meadows in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 91 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Forest Meadows get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Forest Meadows?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 59°. About 59 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Groveland 2, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Meadows?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 192 frost-free days, at Groveland 2, CA.
What growing zone is Forest Meadows in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forest Meadows?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Forest Meadows getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Forest Meadows.
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.