What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 28040 today?

About 56°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 53°F and high 59°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 12.2 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 28040?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 4 and 55°F from Mar 30.

ZIP 28040 · Forest City, NC · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 28040

56°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 53°F · high 59°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 12.2 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

4° cooler

61°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

57°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Mar 30

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	60.6°F	58.9°F	61.5°F	analysis
Nov 5	63.6°F	62.4°F	65.2°F	analysis
Nov 6	63.7°F	62.2°F	64.6°F	analysis
Nov 7	60.2°F	58.0°F	61.8°F	analysis
Nov 8	55.8°F	53.2°F	57.6°F	analysis
Nov 9	55.0°F	51.3°F	58.4°F	analysis
Nov 10	55.8°F	52.3°F	58.7°F	analysis
Today	56.3°F	52.8°F	59.3°F	analysis
Nov 12	56.2°F	54.4°F	57.3°F	forecast
Nov 13	50.1°F	48.9°F	52.5°F	forecast
Nov 14	45.0°F	42.8°F	46.2°F	forecast
Nov 15	44.1°F	40.4°F	47.5°F	forecast
Nov 16	45.4°F	42.8°F	47.4°F	forecast
Nov 17	44.9°F	41.8°F	47.5°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	Feb 12
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 4
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Mar 30
60°F	Tomatoes	May 17
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	Jun 5

Shelby, NC, 22 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

28136 56°F · 28089 58°F · 28018 56°F · 28019 58°F · 28043 58°F · 28076 58°F · 28160 57°F · 28024 58°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 28040 today?: About 56°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 53°F and high 59°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 12.2 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 28040?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 4 and 55°F from Mar 30.

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).