Forest Hills gets more rain and snow than 86% of U.S. towns: 51 inches of precipitation a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. Only 62° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 64% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Forest Hills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forest Hills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forest Hills’ place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in Forest Hills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 214 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Louisville Bowman Fld, KY, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Hills’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Louisville Wfo, KY, is heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Forest Hills
73% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Louisville Bowman Fld, KY.
Living with Forest Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
214 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forest Hills from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forest Hills and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Forest Hills in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Forest Hills’, 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 Hills, KY | 25° | 87° | 51" | 15" |
| Pikesville, MD | 24° | 88° | 48" | 19" |
| Hammonton, NJ | 25° | 87° | 47" | 19" |
| Carterville, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 11" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
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 Forest Hills averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 Hills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forest Hills’ place among Kentucky’s.
Forest Hills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forest Hills’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Louisville Wfo, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.5" | 4.6" | 12 | 4 | 26° – 43° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 3.5" | 4.7" | 12 | 4 | 26° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 4.6" | 2.6" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| October | 69° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 29° | 4.3" | 2.7" | 13 | 3 | 25° – 48° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 50.7" | 15.1" | 134 | 11 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Forest Hills’ 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 Hills’ center.
- Snow: Louisville Wfo, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Louisville Bowman Fld, KY, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Hills’ climate
What is the weather like in Forest Hills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Hills in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Forest Hills get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Louisville Wfo, KY, heaviest from January through February, about 5 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.
How hot does it get in Forest Hills?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 38 days a year reach 90° (Louisville Bowman Fld, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 214 frost-free days, at Louisville Bowman Fld, KY.
What growing zone is Forest Hills in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forest Hills?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Forest Hills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Forest Hills.
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.