Photo: Bimala Rai Colavito · CC BY-SA 4.0Midwinter lows in Forest Home sink below those of 81% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 82°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 79% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Forest Home at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forest Home’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forest Home’s place in New York beside it.
What a year in Forest Home feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Home’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 63 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 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
95% 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 Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
Living with Forest Home’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forest Home from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forest Home and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Forest Home yet.
Climates most like Forest Home’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, NY | 16° | 82° | 38" | 63" |
| Forest Hills, MI | 17° | 83° | 37" | 66" |
| La Porte, IN | 17° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Brunswick, OH | 20° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | 13° | 82° | 35" | 54" |
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 Home averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forest Home’s place among New York’s.
Forest Home weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forest Home’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 2.2" | 16.6" | 16 | 21 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.9" | 14.5" | 13 | 20 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 2.7" | 12.0" | 14 | 13 | 26° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 3.2" | 2.8" | 14 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 2.8" | 4.6" | 14 | 4 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.7" | 12.2" | 16 | 14 | 22° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 37.8" | 62.9" | 166 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Forest Home’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’s center.
- Snow: Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 1.0 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’s climate
What is the weather like in Forest Home?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Home in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Forest Home get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Forest Home?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Home?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 145 frost-free days, at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY.
What growing zone is Forest Home in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forest Home?
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 getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Forest Home.
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.