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Climate in Foresthill · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Foresthill gets more rain and snow than 93% of U.S. towns: 55 inches of precipitation a year

January mornings start at about 37°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by September. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.

Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns#675Mildest winters  of 758 in CA
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns#686Least snow  of 710 in CA
All CA rankings →

A year in Foresthill at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan53°37°
Feb55°37°
Mar58°38°
Apr63°41° Last frost ~Apr 12
May72°48° 1 day 90°+
Jun81°55° 6 days 90°+
Jul90°62° 19 days 90°+
Aug89°61° 19 days 90°+
Sep84°57° 12 days 90°+
Oct73°49° 2 days 90°+
Nov now59°41° First frost ~Nov 21
Dec51°36° Wettest

What stands out about Foresthill’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Foresthill’s place in California beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Foresthill feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
53° / 36°
Snow is rare
Spring
64° / 42°
Last frost around Apr 12
Summer
87° / 59°
58 days reach 90°
Fall
72° / 49°
First frost around Nov 21
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 221 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Georgetown Rs, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft higher.

49
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
678th fewest of 752 in California
Fewer freezing nights than 79% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
58
days that reach 90°
425th most of 752 in California
More 90° days than 79% of U.S. towns
5
days that reach 100°
486th most of 752 in California
More 100° days than 86% of U.S. towns
9bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 9b

The 2023 USDA map puts Foresthill’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

11
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

19
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 3 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Foresthill Rs, CA, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.

55"
Rain + melted snow a year
8th wettest of 758 in California
Wetter than 93% of U.S. towns
2.6"
Snow in a normal winter
686th least snowy of 710 in California
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns
1 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
664th fewest of 681 in California
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 73% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

9.9"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

2"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Foresthill

75% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.

3,698 heating degree daysLess heating than 73% of U.S. towns
1,251 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 66% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Georgetown Rs, CA.

Living here

Living with Foresthill’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

221 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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 21.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 15 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Foresthill from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (58%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Foresthill and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Foresthill yet.

Climates most like Foresthill’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Foresthill, CA37°90°55"2.6"
Boiling Spring Lakes, NC35°90°56"0.9"
Cleveland, MS35°91°56"1.9"
Little River, SC36°89°53"0.5"
Hapeville, GA34°89°52"2.2"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Foresthill averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.0°).

+0.9°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 81% of U.S. towns.

Winter+0.8°now 45°, was 44°
Spring+0.7°now 53°, was 53°
Summer+1.3°now 73°, was 72°
Fall+1.0°now 60°, was 59°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Foresthill compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Foresthill’s place among California’s.

Summer heat90° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns378th hottest of 758 in California
Winter cold37° January low
Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns675th mildest of 758 in California
Precipitation55" a year
Wetter than 93% of U.S. towns8th wettest of 758 in California
Snow2.6" a winter
Less snow than 74% of U.S. towns686th least snowy of 710 in California
Hot days58 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 79% of U.S. towns425th most of 752 in California
Freezing nights49 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 79% of U.S. towns678th fewest of 752 in California
Growing season221 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 80% of U.S. towns311th longest of 359 in California
Month by month

Foresthill weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Foresthill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Foresthill Rs, CA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January53°37°9.7"0.1"9040° – 53°
February55°37°9.1"0.5"8036° – 53°
March58°38°8.7"1.8"10039° – 56°
April63°41°4.7"0.0"7045° – 57°
May72°48°2.9"0.0"5050° – 69°
June81°55°0.8"0.0"2062° – 73°
July90°62°0.0"0.0"0071° – 80°
August89°61°0.1"0.0"1071° – 79°
September84°57°0.5"0.0"1066° – 76°
October73°49°2.8"0.0"4056° – 68°
November59°41°5.6"0.1"7041° – 57°
December51°36°9.9"0.1"9040° – 48°
Year69°47°54.8"2.6"621
Year to year

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 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Foresthill’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 Foresthill’s center.
  • Snow: Foresthill Rs, CA (NOAA station in town).
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Georgetown Rs, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 Foresthill’s climate

What is the weather like in Foresthill?

A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Foresthill in winter?

December nights average 36°. About 49 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.

How much snow does Foresthill get?

About 2.6 inches in a normal winter at Foresthill Rs, CA, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.

How hot does it get in Foresthill?

July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 62°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Georgetown Rs, CA).

When is the first and last frost in Foresthill?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 221 frost-free days, at Georgetown Rs, CA.

What growing zone is Foresthill in?

Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.

What is the best time of year to visit Foresthill?

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 Foresthill getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Foresthill.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.