What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 01243 today?

About 46°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 44°F and high 46°F, from NOAA's GFS model run of Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern). It is a model value for a grid cell 13.8 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 01243?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 18 and 55°F from Jun 5.

ZIP 01243 · Dalton, MA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 01243

46°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 44°F · high 46°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 13.8 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

8° cooler

54°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

47°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Jun 5

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, modelled. Dots and line: daily average (dashed = forecast); bars: low to high; green band: 50–55°F.

View as table

Day	Average	Low	High
Nov 4	53.9°F	50.8°F	57.1°F	analysis
Nov 5	56.5°F	55.0°F	58.2°F	analysis
Nov 6	58.5°F	58.2°F	58.8°F	analysis
Nov 7	53.8°F	50.9°F	56.4°F	analysis
Nov 8	46.8°F	46.3°F	48.2°F	analysis
Nov 9	44.1°F	43.4°F	44.5°F	analysis
Nov 10	44.4°F	42.6°F	46.2°F	analysis
Today	45.7°F	44.3°F	46.3°F	analysis
Nov 12	43.4°F	42.3°F	44.9°F	forecast
Nov 13	39.8°F	39.1°F	40.9°F	forecast
Nov 14	37.5°F	37.0°F	38.2°F	forecast
Nov 15	36.2°F	36.2°F	36.2°F	forecast
Nov 16	36.5°F	35.7°F	37.6°F	forecast
Nov 17	37.3°F	36.7°F	37.5°F	forecast

Source: NOAA NCEP GFS 0.25°, 0–10 cm soil temperature, run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern).

Spring 2026 threshold dates

From the 5-day mean held for 10 days or more.

Soil	What it means	Held from (spring 2026)
40°F	Peas and lettuce	Apr 13
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	May 18
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Jun 5
60°F	Tomatoes	Jun 7
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	not reached

Pittsfield, MA, 18 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

01235 45°F · 01223 46°F · 01098 45°F · 01011 46°F · 01084 49°F · 01226 45°F · 01026 45°F · 01012 47°F

More: crabgrass timing in Massachusetts · every Massachusetts city · how accurate the model is.

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 01243 today?: About 46°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 44°F and high 46°F, from NOAA's GFS model run of Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern). It is a model value for a grid cell 13.8 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 01243?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 18 and 55°F from Jun 5.

Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); 2025 Gazetteer ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) and 2024 cartographic boundary state outlines (U.S. Census Bureau).