ZIP 08540 · Princeton, NJ · Nov 11, 2026
Soil temperature for ZIP code 08540
low 52°F · high 60°F
Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 15 km from the ZIP centre point
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 | 61.9°F | 56.4°F | 66.3°F | analysis |
| Nov 5 | 63.8°F | 60.6°F | 68.1°F | analysis |
| Nov 6 | 64.6°F | 63.3°F | 65.9°F | analysis |
| Nov 7 | 58.9°F | 57.1°F | 60.4°F | analysis |
| Nov 8 | 54.4°F | 51.5°F | 57.2°F | analysis |
| Nov 9 | 55.5°F | 53.0°F | 58.2°F | analysis |
| Nov 10 | 54.2°F | 49.6°F | 58.5°F | analysis |
| Today | 56.6°F | 51.7°F | 60.2°F | analysis |
| Nov 12 | 56.0°F | 55.2°F | 56.8°F | forecast |
| Nov 13 | 48.1°F | 45.3°F | 51.8°F | forecast |
| Nov 14 | 43.7°F | 41.5°F | 45.3°F | forecast |
| Nov 15 | 43.6°F | 40.0°F | 46.7°F | forecast |
| Nov 16 | 45.0°F | 40.8°F | 48.6°F | forecast |
| Nov 17 | 44.7°F | 39.9°F | 48.4°F | forecast |
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 | Mar 8 |
| 50°F | Pre-emergent window opens | Apr 13 |
| 55°F | Crabgrass can germinate | May 5 |
| 60°F | Tomatoes | May 27 |
| 65°F | Warm-season grass seed | Jun 4 |
Nearby ZIP codes
Today's modelled average.
08542 57°F · 08544 57°F · 08528 55°F · 08553 51°F · 08558 51°F · 08536 52°F · 08502 51°F · 08550 52°F
More: crabgrass timing in New Jersey · every New Jersey city · how accurate the model is.
Questions
- What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 08540 today?
- About 57°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°F and high 60°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 15 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
- Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 08540?
- The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Apr 13 and 55°F from May 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).