Photo: Hot Furnace · CC BY-SA 4.0Forest Hill sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 61 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 40°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.7°, most of all in February. Plan time outside from February to April and October to December, when highs sit at 62–80°.
A year in Forest Hill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forest Hill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forest Hill’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Forest Hill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 267 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 1 and the first by November 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lsu Dean Lee Rsch Stn, LA, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Hill’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 61 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 111 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Elmer 2 Sw, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Forest Hill
42% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lsu Dean Lee Rsch Stn, LA.
Living with Forest Hill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
267 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 1 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forest Hill from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forest Hill and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Forest Hill yet.
Climates most like Forest Hill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hill, LA | 40° | 92° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Columbia, MS | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.2" |
| DeFuniak Springs, FL | 39° | 91° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Brewton, AL | 38° | 92° | 63" | 0.0" |
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 Hill averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Hill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forest Hill’s place among Louisiana’s.
Forest Hill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forest Hill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elmer 2 Sw, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 40° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 58° |
| February | 65° | 43° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 63° |
| March | 72° | 49° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| April | 78° | 56° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 64° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 70° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 93° | 72° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| September | 89° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 56° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 47° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| December | 62° | 41° | 5.8" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| Year | 78° | 56° | 60.5" | 0.2" | 111 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 63°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Forest Hill’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 Forest Hill’s center.
- Snow: Elmer 2 Sw, LA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lsu Dean Lee Rsch Stn, LA, 11 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 Forest Hill’s climate
What is the weather like in Forest Hill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Hill in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Forest Hill get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Elmer 2 Sw, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Forest Hill?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 100 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Lsu Dean Lee Rsch Stn, LA).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Hill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 1 and the first fall frost by November 22, about 267 frost-free days, at Lsu Dean Lee Rsch Stn, LA.
What growing zone is Forest Hill in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forest Hill?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Forest Hill getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Forest Hill.
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.