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°.
A year in Foresthill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Foresthill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Foresthill’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Foresthill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
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.
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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
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.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Foresthill
75% 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 Georgetown Rs, CA.
Living with Foresthill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
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.
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 →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 →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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foresthill, CA | 37° | 90° | 55" | 2.6" |
| Boiling Spring Lakes, NC | 35° | 90° | 56" | 0.9" |
| Cleveland, MS | 35° | 91° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Little River, SC | 36° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Hapeville, GA | 34° | 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.
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°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 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.
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.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 37° | 9.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| February | 55° | 37° | 9.1" | 0.5" | 8 | 0 | 36° – 53° |
| March | 58° | 38° | 8.7" | 1.8" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 55° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 89° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 84° | 57° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| November | 59° | 41° | 5.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 57° |
| December | 51° | 36° | 9.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 54.8" | 2.6" | 62 | 1 |
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°.
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.
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.