Summer arrives in force in Forsyth, hotter than in 78% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 25° on average. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 63% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 6 to October 31.
A year in Forsyth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forsyth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forsyth’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Forsyth feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ozark Beach, MO, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forsyth’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ozark Beach, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Forsyth
72% 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 Ozark Beach, MO.
Living with Forsyth’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 4.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forsyth from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forsyth and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Forsyth yet.
Climates most like Forsyth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth, MO | 25° | 90° | 46" | 6.8" |
| Mechanicsville, VA | 28° | 89° | 46" | 8.8" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Fruitland, MD | 27° | 89° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Murphysboro, IL | 24° | 89° | 47" | 9.9" |
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 Forsyth averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
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 Forsyth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forsyth’s place among Missouri’s.
Forsyth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forsyth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ozark Beach, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 25° | 2.7" | 2.3" | 7 | 3 | 30° – 44° |
| February | 51° | 28° | 2.5" | 1.8" | 6 | 2 | 31° – 48° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 4.2" | 1.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 58° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 54° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 36° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| December | 49° | 28° | 2.9" | 1.7" | 7 | 2 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 45.7" | 6.8" | 94 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Forsyth’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 Forsyth’s center.
- Snow: Ozark Beach, MO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ozark Beach, MO, 0.8 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 Forsyth’s climate
What is the weather like in Forsyth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forsyth in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 103 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Forsyth get?
About 6.8 inches in a normal winter at Ozark Beach, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Forsyth?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 67°. About 53 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Ozark Beach, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Forsyth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 205 frost-free days, at Ozark Beach, MO.
What growing zone is Forsyth in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forsyth?
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 Forsyth getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° 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 Forsyth.
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.