California · 84 cities · spring 2026

When to apply crabgrass preventer in California

Last spring the soil reached 50°F aroundJan 16Median of 65 cities; crabgrass temperatures (55°F) followed around Feb 26. Earliest: Santa Cruz Jan 12; latest: South Lake Tahoe Jun 4.
Today
Season over
84 of 84 cities
Window last spring
41 days
median gap from 50°F to 55°F
Soil today
63°F
median, 0–4 in
Never below 50°F
19
cities with no spring window

Last spring's pre-emergent window, largest California cities

Each bar runs from the day the soil held 50°F to the day it held 55°F (2026).

FebMarAprMaySan JoseSan Jose: Jan 15 to Mar 8San FranciscoSan Francisco: Jan 15 to Feb 26SacramentoSacramento: Jan 30 to Feb 27BakersfieldBakersfield: Feb 23 to Feb 1StocktonStockton: Jan 15 to Feb 26ModestoModesto: Jan 29 to Mar 10Santa ClaritaSanta Clarita: Jan 15 to Feb 1Santa RosaSanta Rosa: Jan 14 to Mar 8LancasterLancaster: Jan 16 to Feb 3HaywardHayward: Jan 16 to Mar 10SalinasSalinas: Jan 14 to Feb 1RosevilleRoseville: Jan 16 to Feb 27
FebMarAprMaySan JoseSan Jose: Jan 15 to Mar 8San Francis…San Francisco: Jan 15 to Feb 26SacramentoSacramento: Jan 30 to Feb 27BakersfieldBakersfield: Feb 23 to Feb 1StocktonStockton: Jan 15 to Feb 26ModestoModesto: Jan 29 to Mar 10Santa Clari…Santa Clarita: Jan 15 to Feb 1Santa RosaSanta Rosa: Jan 14 to Mar 8LancasterLancaster: Jan 16 to Feb 3HaywardHayward: Jan 16 to Mar 10SalinasSalinas: Jan 14 to Feb 1RosevilleRoseville: Jan 16 to Feb 27
Source: NOAA NCEP GFS analyses, 0–10 cm; 5-day mean held 10 days.

Every California city

Spring 2026 dates and today's verdict.

CityHeld 50°F (2026)Held 55°F (2026)Soil todayToday
Los Angeles, CAnever belownever below78°FSeason over
San Diego, CAnever belownever below78°FSeason over
San Jose, CAJan 15Mar 863°FSeason over
San Francisco, CAJan 15Feb 2663°FSeason over
Fresno, CAnever belowJan 1669°FSeason over
Sacramento, CAJan 30Feb 2763°FSeason over
Long Beach, CAnever belownever below78°FSeason over
Bakersfield, CAFeb 23Feb 166°FSeason over
Anaheim, CAnever belownever below78°FSeason over
Riverside, CAnever belowFeb 2276°FSeason over
Stockton, CAJan 15Feb 2665°FSeason over
Modesto, CAJan 29Mar 1063°FSeason over

Crabgrass seeds start to germinate once the top 2 to 4 inches of soil stay near 55°F for several days. A pre-emergent works as a barrier in the soil, so it has to be down and watered in before that: the usual advice is to apply it while the soil holds 50 to 55°F. The dates here are when the modelled soil began to hold each temperature last spring; this year's window will move with the weather, which is why each city page shows today's reading and the 7-day forecast.

Questions

When should I put down crabgrass preventer in California?
When the soil holds 50 to 55°F. Last spring that was around Jan 16 to Feb 26 across 65 California cities, earlier in the south and in cities.
Is it too late to apply pre-emergent?
Once the soil has held 55°F for a week or more, crabgrass is germinating and a pre-emergent will not stop the seedlings already up. Each city page says which side of that line it is on today.

Soil temperature today in California →

Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).