Norman, Oklahoma · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature today in Norman

63°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep
low 60°F · high 65°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 6.3 km from Norman

On a week ago
3° warmer
60°F on Nov 4
Next 7 days
51–60°F
range of the daily averages forecast
Crabgrass pre-emergent
Season over
next window: when the soil holds 50°F
Held 55°F last spring
Feb 10
crabgrass germination temperature

What the soil says today

  • Pre-emergentSeason over
  • Cool-season seedToo late in the season
  • Warm-season seedToo cold
  • TomatoesToo cold
  • Peas and lettuceWarm enough

From the 5-day mean of the modelled 0–4 in layer.

Soil temperature, 0–4 in: last 7 days and next 7

°F. Dots and line: daily average (dashed = forecast); bars: the day's low to high; green band: the 50–55°F pre-emergent window.

40°50°60°70°50–55°F windowNov 456789101112131415161760°51°
40°50°60°70°50–55°F windowNov 4Nov 6Nov 8Nov 10Nov 12Nov 14Nov 1660°51°
  • Daily average
  • Low to high
  • 50–55°F window
View as table
DayAverageLowHigh
Nov 459.8°F56.6°F63.2°Fanalysis
Nov 560.0°F57.3°F62.0°Fanalysis
Nov 656.8°F55.0°F58.6°Fanalysis
Nov 752.9°F49.9°F56.2°Fanalysis
Nov 853.9°F49.9°F59.1°Fanalysis
Nov 956.9°F53.0°F61.9°Fanalysis
Nov 1061.0°F57.9°F65.6°Fanalysis
Today62.6°F60.2°F64.9°Fforecast
Nov 1260.3°F56.8°F63.5°Fforecast
Nov 1356.9°F54.8°F59.3°Fforecast
Nov 1452.7°F50.1°F55.1°Fforecast
Nov 1551.7°F49.2°F53.9°Fforecast
Nov 1650.6°F47.8°F54.6°Fforecast
Nov 1751.2°F48.7°F54.2°Fforecast
Source: NOAA NCEP GFS 0.25°, 0–10 cm soil temperature, grid cell at 35.25°N 97.50°W. Run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern).

What the soil says for each job

Today's verdicts use the 5-day mean of the modelled 0–4 in layer.

JobSoil ruleToday
Crabgrass pre-emergentApply while the soil holds 50 to 55°F, before crabgrass germinates at about 55°FSeason over
The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Feb 8 and 55°F from Feb 10.
Seed or overseed cool-season grassFescue, bluegrass and ryegrass germinate best in soil of 50 to 65°FToo late in the season
Past the usual Aug 15 to Oct 15 seeding window (57°F soil today).
Seed warm-season grassBermuda, zoysia and centipede need soil of 65°F or moreToo cold
57°F: under 65°F.
Plant out tomatoesTomato roots want soil of 60°F or more (check your frost date as well)Too cold
57°F: under 60°F.
Sow peas, lettuce and spinachCool-weather crops germinate once soil reaches about 40°FWarm enough
57°F: at or over 40°F.

The 2026 season so far

°F, daily average of the 0–4 in layer since 1 January (dashed = forecast). Dots: the days the soil began to hold 50°F and 55°F.

20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHeld 50°F from Feb 850° Feb 8Held 55°F from Feb 1055° Feb 10
20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°JMMJSNHeld 50°F from Feb 850° Feb 8Held 55°F from Feb 1055° Feb 10
  • Daily average
  • 50–55°F window
Source: NOAA NCEP GFS analyses, 4 a day. Dates use the 5-day mean, held for 10 days or more.

When the soil crossed each threshold

2026, from the 5-day mean held for 10 days or more.

SoilWhat it meansHeld from (spring 2026)Fell below (autumn 2026)
40°FPeas and lettuce can be sownFeb 5not yet
50°FPre-emergent window opensFeb 8not yet
55°FCrabgrass can germinateFeb 10not yet
60°FWarm enough for tomatoesMar 21not yet
65°FWarm-season grass seedMay 13not yet

Growing degree days in Norman

Base 50°F, from 1 January to Nov 8, at the Norman 3Sse station (4.7 km).

GDD in 2026
6,355
to Nov 8
Same date in 2025
5,292
1,063 more this year
All of 2025
5,572
full-year total

A growing degree day is each degree that the day's average temperature runs above 50°F. Insects, weeds and crops develop by accumulated GDD, so the number says how far the season has run. Every city.

18 chill hours so far this winter (since 1 November); last winter brought 1,294. See the chill-hours page for fruit trees →

Soil temperature nearby

Each from a different model grid cell.

CityDistanceSoil todayvs a week agoGrass seed
Oklahoma City, OK28 km62°F+3°FToo late in the season
Shawnee, OK48 km63°F+4°FToo late in the season
Chickasha, OK49 km62°F+2°FToo late in the season
El Reno, OK58 km61°F+2°FToo late in the season
Ada, OK85 km64°F+3°FToo late in the season
Duncan, OK93 km64°F+2°FToo late in the season

This page also covers Moore (13.7 km): they share the same model grid cell area, within 25 km.

Questions

What is the soil temperature in Norman today?
About 63°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), with a low of 60°F and a high of 65°F, from NOAA's GFS model run of Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern).
Is it time to put down crabgrass preventer in Norman?
The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Feb 8 and 55°F from Feb 10.
When did the soil in Norman reach 55°F this year?
The 5-day average held 55°F from Feb 10, 2026.
How accurate is a modelled soil temperature?
Against NOAA's 108 reference stations the model's daily average was off by 4.2°F on average, and within 5°F on 68% of days. A shaded, mulched or watered yard can differ more.

Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) hourly data, version 2 (soil temperature at 5 cm and 10 cm, air temperature) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)); Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily (GHCN-Daily), daily maximum and minimum temperature (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).