Dubuisson-Neuhoff House · Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0Wet weather: 53 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Forest Hills, more than in 90% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 89°. The wettest month is May; the driest is October. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 74% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 6, with the first autumn frost due around November 1.
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 Tennessee 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 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Warner Park, TN, 4 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Hills’ center in zone 7b: 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nashville International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; May is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 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
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 Warner Park, TN.
Living with Forest Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.1 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 (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forest Hills and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Forest Hills yet.
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, TN | 29° | 89° | 53" | 4.7" |
| Suffolk, VA | 30° | 89° | 50" | 4.1" |
| Morganton, NC | 29° | 89° | 50" | 4.5" |
| Jonesboro, AR | 30° | 90° | 51" | 3.9" |
| Caruthersville, MO | 30° | 90° | 50" | 6.6" |
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 Hills averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Tennessee’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 Nashville International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 29° | 4.2" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 30° – 46° |
| February | 52° | 32° | 4.7" | 1.5" | 11 | 1 | 32° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 39° | 5.0" | 0.7" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| April | 71° | 47° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 66° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 85° |
| September | 83° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 60° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 51° | 32° | 4.9" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 30° – 52° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 52.6" | 4.7" | 123 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
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: Nashville International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Warner Park, TN, 4 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; 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 89°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Hills in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 85 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Forest Hills get?
About 4.7 inches in a normal winter at Nashville International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Forest Hills?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Warner Park, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 208 frost-free days, at Warner Park, TN.
What growing zone is Forest Hills in?
Zone 7b 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), April, May, September and October. 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 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% 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.