Photo: ONUnicorn · CC BY-SA 4.0River Forest’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in River Forest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about River Forest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with River Forest’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in River Forest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts River Forest’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in River Forest
85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Anderson Sewage Plt, IN.
Living with River Forest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
186 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in River Forest from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →River Forest and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of River Forest in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like River Forest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Forest, IN | 20° | 84° | 44" | 21" |
| Sunbury, OH | 20° | 84° | 42" | 19" |
| Beaver Falls, PA | 20° | 84° | 41" | 20" |
| Wheeling, WV | 22° | 84° | 42" | 15" |
| Plainview, NY | 24° | 85° | 45" | 19" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in River Forest averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 River Forest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with River Forest’s place among Indiana’s.
River Forest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at River Forest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Anderson Sewage Plt, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 20° | 2.9" | 8.3" | 10 | 11 | 20° – 39° |
| February | 39° | 23° | 2.4" | 4.7" | 9 | 7 | 18° – 42° |
| March | 50° | 31° | 3.3" | 1.9" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 54° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 81° | 61° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 3.4" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| December | 39° | 25° | 2.9" | 5.0" | 10 | 5 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 43.5" | 20.8" | 121 | 25 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where River Forest’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 River Forest’s center.
- Snow: Anderson Sewage Plt, IN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 River Forest’s climate
What is the weather like in River Forest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in River Forest in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does River Forest get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.
How hot does it get in River Forest?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Anderson Sewage Plt, IN).
When is the first and last frost in River Forest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 186 frost-free days, at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN.
What growing zone is River Forest in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit River Forest?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is River Forest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in River Forest.
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.