The valiant efforts of the ground staff to get the game played backfired on Charlton as they lost further ground at the foot of the Championship and have now gone 17 league games without a win - the worst run of results in the club's history.
Forest are pulling themselves away from trouble and this was their ninth match unbeaten on their travels.
Charlton dominated the first half hour of the match and should have scored in the opening after two minutes when striker Deon Burton had good chances, first shooting wide and then being thwarted by Forest keeper Paul Smith.
Smith then had to make a brilliant save to keep out a fierce shot from Charlton's 16-year-old Jonjo Shelvey.
The visitors immediately went back on the attack and scored twice in two minutes in the first attempt on the Charlton goal.
After 33 minutes, two Charlton defenders went to clear the same ball and it ricocheted into the patch of Nathan Tyson, who tapped in from close range.
Another bad mistake by Charlton gave Forest their second goal when substitute Matt Holland's header back to his goalkeeper was intercepted by Rob Earnshaw and lobbed into the net.
It was a killer blow for Charlton, who enjoyed the bulk of possession in front of their biggest crowd of the season but, lacking in confidence and a cutting edge upfront, they never looked capable of getting back into contention with a late save by Smith from Darren Ambrose the only real fright Forest had in the second half.
Charlton have now managed to take just six points from a possible 51 and Phil Parkinson, who replaced Alan Pardew, has now failed to see his side win in the nine games he has been in charge.