Texas · 79 cities · spring 2026

When to apply crabgrass preventer in Texas

Last spring the soil reached 50°F aroundFeb 6Median of 73 cities; crabgrass temperatures (55°F) followed around Feb 8. Earliest: El Paso Jan 15; latest: Texarkana Feb 9.
Today
Season over
79 of 79 cities
Window last spring
2 days
median gap from 50°F to 55°F
Soil today
67°F
median, 0–4 in
Never below 50°F
6
cities with no spring window

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

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

FebMarAprMayHoustonHouston: Feb 1 to Feb 5San AntonioSan Antonio: Feb 3 to Feb 6DallasDallas: Feb 6 to Feb 7Fort WorthFort Worth: Feb 5 to Feb 6AustinAustin: Feb 4 to Feb 6El PasoEl Paso: Jan 15 to Feb 3PlanoPlano: Feb 6 to Feb 7LubbockLubbock: Feb 7 to Feb 9CypressCypress: Feb 4 to Feb 7AmarilloAmarillo: Feb 7 to Feb 27KilleenKilleen: Feb 6 to Feb 7MidlandMidland: Feb 6 to Feb 8
FebMarAprMayHoustonHouston: Feb 1 to Feb 5San AntonioSan Antonio: Feb 3 to Feb 6DallasDallas: Feb 6 to Feb 7Fort WorthFort Worth: Feb 5 to Feb 6AustinAustin: Feb 4 to Feb 6El PasoEl Paso: Jan 15 to Feb 3PlanoPlano: Feb 6 to Feb 7LubbockLubbock: Feb 7 to Feb 9CypressCypress: Feb 4 to Feb 7AmarilloAmarillo: Feb 7 to Feb 27KilleenKilleen: Feb 6 to Feb 7MidlandMidland: Feb 6 to Feb 8
Source: NOAA NCEP GFS analyses, 0–10 cm; 5-day mean held 10 days.

Every Texas city

Spring 2026 dates and today's verdict.

CityHeld 50°F (2026)Held 55°F (2026)Soil todayToday
Houston, TXFeb 1Feb 568°FSeason over
San Antonio, TXFeb 3Feb 667°FSeason over
Dallas, TXFeb 6Feb 772°FSeason over
Fort Worth, TXFeb 5Feb 672°FSeason over
Austin, TXFeb 4Feb 668°FSeason over
El Paso, TXJan 15Feb 367°FSeason over
Corpus Christi, TXnever belowFeb 168°FSeason over
Plano, TXFeb 6Feb 771°FSeason over
Laredo, TXnever belowJan 3170°FSeason over
Lubbock, TXFeb 7Feb 960°FSeason over
Cypress, TXFeb 4Feb 767°FSeason over
Amarillo, TXFeb 7Feb 2757°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 Texas?
When the soil holds 50 to 55°F. Last spring that was around Feb 6 to Feb 8 across 73 Texas 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 Texas →

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