Last spring's pre-emergent window, largest Washington cities
Each bar runs from the day the soil held 50°F to the day it held 55°F (2026).
- 50°F to 55°F
Every Washington city
Spring 2026 dates and today's verdict.
| City | Held 50°F (2026) | Held 55°F (2026) | Soil today | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Apr 20 | Apr 30 | 54°F | Season over |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 28 | May 1 | 50°F | Season over |
| Tacoma, WA | Apr 20 | May 1 | 54°F | Season over |
| Everett, WA | Apr 30 | Jun 14 | 52°F | Season over |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 19 | Apr 21 | 50°F | Season over |
| Bellingham, WA | May 1 | Jun 15 | 52°F | Season over |
| Kennewick, WA | Mar 19 | Apr 28 | 52°F | Season over |
| Olympia, WA | Apr 28 | May 29 | 53°F | Season over |
| Longview, WA | Apr 30 | Jun 14 | 52°F | Season over |
| Mount Vernon, WA | May 1 | Jun 15 | 52°F | Season over |
| Wenatchee, WA | Apr 30 | May 3 | 44°F | Season over |
| Pullman, WA | May 2 | May 5 | 50°F | Season over |
| Walla Walla, WA | May 1 | May 3 | 53°F | Season over |
| Maple Valley, WA | Apr 30 | Jun 14 | 51°F | Season over |
| Oak Harbor, WA | Apr 30 | Jun 14 | 54°F | Season over |
| Moses Lake, WA | Apr 6 | Apr 30 | 50°F | Season over |
| Port Angeles, WA | May 2 | Jun 15 | 49°F | Season over |
| Battle Ground, WA | Apr 30 | May 4 | 54°F | Season over |
| Silverdale, WA | Apr 21 | May 23 | 53°F | Season over |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 30 | May 3 | 46°F | Season over |
| Arlington, WA | Apr 30 | Jun 14 | 54°F | Season over |
| Centralia, WA | Apr 30 | May 29 | 54°F | Season over |
| Sunnyside, WA | Mar 19 | Apr 28 | 52°F | Season over |
| Aberdeen, WA | Apr 29 | Jun 15 | 54°F | Season over |
| Washougal, WA | May 1 | May 4 | 53°F | Season 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 Washington?
- When the soil holds 50 to 55°F. Last spring that was around Apr 30 to May 5 across 25 Washington 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 Washington →
Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).