Photo: Larry Pieniazek, Lar (commons) or Lar(en:wp) (primary) · CC BY 2.5Midwinter lows in Forest Hills sink below those of 76% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. Only 66° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 73% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that 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 Michigan 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 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grand Rapids, MI, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Hills’ 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lowell, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 135 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
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Grand Rapids, MI.
Living with Forest Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 45 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forest Hills from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. 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, MI | 17° | 83° | 37" | 66" |
| Ithaca, NY | 17° | 83° | 36" | 63" |
| Medina, OH | 20° | 83° | 39" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Bartlett, IL | 15° | 84° | 38" | 46" |
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 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Michigan’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 Lowell, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 17° | 2.5" | 21.3" | 15 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 17° | 2.0" | 16.1" | 11 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 25° | 2.3" | 7.2" | 10 | 26° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.7" | 1.3" | 13 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.2" | 11 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 3.0" | 4.0" | 12 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 2.4" | 15.8" | 13 | 19° – 39° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 37.4" | 65.9" | 135 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 50°. 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: Lowell, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grand Rapids, MI, 5 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 Hills’ climate
What is the weather like in Forest Hills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Hills in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Forest Hills get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at Lowell, MI, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Forest Hills?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Grand Rapids, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 174 frost-free days, at Grand Rapids, MI.
What growing zone is Forest Hills 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 Forest Hills?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. 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 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% 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.