What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 08863 today?

About 57°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°F and high 61°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 6.7 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 08863?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 29 and 55°F from May 1.

ZIP 08863 · Fords, NJ · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 08863

57°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 52°F · high 61°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 6.7 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

6° cooler

64°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

57°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 1

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	63.5°F	57.2°F	68.5°F	analysis
Nov 5	65.0°F	61.1°F	69.7°F	analysis
Nov 6	65.5°F	64.2°F	67.0°F	analysis
Nov 7	60.2°F	58.4°F	62.5°F	analysis
Nov 8	56.0°F	52.7°F	59.8°F	analysis
Nov 9	55.3°F	52.2°F	58.4°F	analysis
Nov 10	54.5°F	49.4°F	58.7°F	analysis
Today	57.0°F	51.9°F	61.4°F	analysis
Nov 12	56.8°F	55.7°F	57.5°F	forecast
Nov 13	48.5°F	45.5°F	53.0°F	forecast
Nov 14	44.9°F	42.6°F	47.2°F	forecast
Nov 15	45.1°F	40.9°F	49.2°F	forecast
Nov 16	46.6°F	42.0°F	50.9°F	forecast
Nov 17	47.3°F	42.4°F	52.2°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	Mar 8
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 29
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 1
60°F	Tomatoes	May 16
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	Jun 3

Edison, NJ, 9 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

07095 57°F · 08832 57°F · 08830 57°F · 08837 57°F · 08861 57°F · 08840 57°F · 07077 57°F · 07067 57°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 08863 today?: About 57°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°F and high 61°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 6.7 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 08863?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 29 and 55°F from May 1.

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).