Forest, MI climate
Forest has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Forest feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Forest 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 | 26° | 11° | 1.8" | 21.3" | 18 | 30 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 10° | 1.3" | 17.7" | 13 | 28 | 4° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 1.6" | 11.3" | 11 | 23 | 18° – 42° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 2.7" | 6.9" | 11 | 5 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 3.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 3.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 70° | 46° | 3.3" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.7" | 16 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 28° | 2.3" | 7.3" | 15 | 7 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 32° | 19° | 2.2" | 21.6" | 17 | 22 | 16° – 35° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 30.9" | 86.9" | 159 | 114 |
“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
Forest gets 31 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 114 days of the year.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first one by October 2. That leaves about 135 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 92% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Forest
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Forest, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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 and its neighbors
Forest borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.4°. Walker has the coldest January nights (11°) and Allis the hottest July afternoons (80°). Forest’s January low is 11° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Forest 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 averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 79% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Forest’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 4° to 30°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Forest’s climate
What is the coldest month in Forest?
February, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 10°.
What is the hottest month in Forest?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Forest get?
About 87 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Forest?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 2, and the last spring frost by May 22.
What is the rainiest month in Forest?
October, with 3.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 31 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Forest itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Onaway 4n, MI (9 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.