Forest Hill reaches 100° on about 22 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 36°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 82% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.8°, most of all in January. Tender plants can go out after about March 14; in half of years the first frost comes by November 16.
A year in Forest Hill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forest Hill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forest Hill’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Forest Hill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 245 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 14 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Benbrook Dam, TX, 10 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forest Hill’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 37 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 80 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Benbrook Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Forest Hill
46% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Benbrook Dam, TX.
Living with Forest Hill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
245 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 14 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forest Hill from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forest Hill and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Forest Hill in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Forest Hill’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 Hill, TX | 36° | 96° | 37" | 0.0" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Dublin, GA | 37° | 93° | 47" | 0.0" |
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 Hill averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
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 Hill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forest Hill’s place among Texas’.
Forest Hill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forest Hill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Benbrook Dam, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 36° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| February | 62° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| April | 77° | 54° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| May | 84° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| June | 92° | 71° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| July | 96° | 75° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 81° – 91° |
| August | 96° | 74° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 79° – 93° |
| September | 89° | 67° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| October | 79° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| December | 59° | 38° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| Year | 77° | 56° | 36.7" | 0.0" | 80 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Forest Hill’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 Hill’s center.
- Snow: Benbrook Dam, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Benbrook Dam, TX, 10 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher; 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 Hill’s climate
What is the weather like in Forest Hill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forest Hill in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 43 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Forest Hill get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Benbrook Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Forest Hill?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 75°. About 103 days a year reach 90° and 22 reach 100° (Benbrook Dam, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Forest Hill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 14 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 245 frost-free days, at Benbrook Dam, TX.
What growing zone is Forest Hill in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forest Hill?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Forest Hill 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 Hill.
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.