What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 19956 today?

About 55°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 51°F and high 58°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 6.3 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 19956?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 31 and 55°F from May 2.

ZIP 19956 · Seaford, DE · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 19956

55°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 51°F · high 58°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 6.3 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

6° cooler

61°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

55°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 2

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	60.7°F	56.8°F	64.6°F	analysis
Nov 5	64.6°F	62.2°F	68.1°F	analysis
Nov 6	65.8°F	64.1°F	67.0°F	analysis
Nov 7	59.0°F	57.1°F	62.0°F	analysis
Nov 8	53.7°F	51.2°F	54.9°F	analysis
Nov 9	53.7°F	50.6°F	56.0°F	analysis
Nov 10	53.3°F	49.4°F	56.3°F	analysis
Today	55.2°F	51.3°F	58.3°F	analysis
Nov 12	55.8°F	54.1°F	57.1°F	forecast
Nov 13	51.8°F	49.6°F	54.6°F	forecast
Nov 14	46.1°F	43.5°F	47.2°F	forecast
Nov 15	44.7°F	41.6°F	46.7°F	forecast
Nov 16	44.5°F	40.9°F	47.1°F	forecast
Nov 17	45.0°F	41.7°F	47.3°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 3
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 31
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 2
60°F	Tomatoes	May 17
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	Jun 5

Salisbury, MD, 21 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

19931 55°F · 19940 55°F · 21875 55°F · 19973 55°F · 21861 56°F · 19947 55°F · 19933 55°F · 21849 57°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 19956 today?: About 55°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 51°F and high 58°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 6.3 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 19956?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 31 and 55°F from May 2.

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).