Forest Home, MI climate
Forest Home has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 122 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Forest Home feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Forest Home weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 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 | 12 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 2.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 57° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 3.7" | 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 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Forest Home
Forest Home gets 34 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 149 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 110 days of the year.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first one by October 19. That leaves about 158 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 73% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Forest Home
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Forest Home, 94% of that work is heating and 6% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Forest Home and its neighbors
Forest Home borders 7 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 4.4°. Custer has the coldest January nights (13°) and Helena the hottest July afternoons (81°). Forest Home’s January low is 15° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Forest Home compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Forest Home averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Forest Home’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 8° to 32°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Forest Home’s climate
What is the coldest month in Forest Home?
February, with a typical high of 30° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Forest Home?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Forest Home get?
About 122 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Forest Home?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 19, and the last spring frost by May 13.
What is the rainiest month in Forest Home?
October, with 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 34 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Forest Home itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at East Jordan, MI (13 mi, snow) and Old Mission 3ssw, MI (13 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.