What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 23868 today?

About 58°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 55°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 6.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 23868?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 5 and 55°F from Mar 7.

ZIP 23868 · Emporia, VA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 23868

58°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 55°F · high 61°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 6.1 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

4° cooler

62°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

57°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Mar 7

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	62.2°F	58.9°F	66.1°F	analysis
Nov 5	67.0°F	64.4°F	70.3°F	analysis
Nov 6	67.6°F	65.9°F	69.2°F	analysis
Nov 7	60.2°F	59.1°F	62.2°F	analysis
Nov 8	54.6°F	51.7°F	56.6°F	analysis
Nov 9	55.4°F	52.6°F	58.0°F	analysis
Nov 10	55.8°F	51.9°F	59.4°F	analysis
Today	58.1°F	54.6°F	61.4°F	analysis
Nov 12	59.3°F	57.3°F	60.6°F	forecast
Nov 13	55.5°F	54.2°F	58.2°F	forecast
Nov 14	49.7°F	47.4°F	51.2°F	forecast
Nov 15	46.2°F	43.1°F	47.9°F	forecast
Nov 16	46.1°F	43.3°F	48.5°F	forecast
Nov 17	46.9°F	44.2°F	49.5°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	Jan 6
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 5
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Mar 7
60°F	Tomatoes	Apr 14
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 19

Roanoke Rapids, NC, 30 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

23856 58°F · 23887 58°F · 23843 58°F · 23893 58°F · 23857 58°F · 23920 58°F · 27842 58°F · 27832 58°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 23868 today?: About 58°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 55°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 6.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 23868?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 5 and 55°F from Mar 7.

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).