Henry Richardi House · Photo: Dkanaris · CC BY-SA 3.0Forest Home Township gets about 122 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 134 U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 80°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 91% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Forest Home Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forest Home Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forest Home Township’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Forest Home Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at E Jordan, MI, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Home Township’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 122 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at E Jordan, MI, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Forest Home Township
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at E Jordan, MI.
Living with Forest Home Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forest Home Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forest Home Township and its neighbors
Custer Township has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Forest Home Township’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 Home Township, MI | 15° | 80° | 34" | 122" |
| Sweden, NY | 17° | 80° | 35" | 102" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| South Euclid, OH | 20° | 82° | 41" | 114" |
| Shelburne, VT | 11° | 82° | 38" | 88" |
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 Home Township averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Home Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forest Home Township’s place among Michigan’s.
Forest Home Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forest Home Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from E Jordan, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 15° | 2.3" | 37.4" | 17 | 29 | 11° – 31° |
| February | 30° | 14° | 1.5" | 23.1" | 12 | 28 | 8° – 32° |
| March | 40° | 21° | 1.8" | 11.0" | 10 | 21 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 3.0" | 4.6" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 58° | 40° | 4.3" | 0.7" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 30° | 2.9" | 10.0" | 15 | 7 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 34° | 22° | 2.5" | 35.4" | 16 | 21 | 19° – 37° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 34.0" | 122.2" | 149 | 110 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Forest Home Township’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 Home Township’s center.
- Snow: E Jordan, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: E Jordan, MI, 13 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 Home Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Forest Home Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 122 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Home Township in winter?
February nights average 14°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Forest Home Township get?
About 122 inches in a normal winter at E Jordan, MI, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 110 days a year.
How hot does it get in Forest Home Township?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (E Jordan, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Home Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 131 frost-free days, at E Jordan, MI.
What growing zone is Forest Home Township in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forest Home Township?
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 Home Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Forest Home Township.
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.