What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 28074 today?

About 57°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°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 11.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 28074?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 2 and 55°F from Mar 6.

ZIP 28074 · Forest City, NC · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 28074

57°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 54°F · high 60°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 11.1 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

4° cooler

61°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

58°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Mar 6

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	61.3°F	59.8°F	62.2°F	analysis
Nov 5	64.5°F	62.9°F	66.5°F	analysis
Nov 6	65.0°F	63.2°F	66.2°F	analysis
Nov 7	60.8°F	58.4°F	62.4°F	analysis
Nov 8	56.9°F	53.9°F	59.2°F	analysis
Nov 9	56.2°F	52.2°F	59.6°F	analysis
Nov 10	56.8°F	53.0°F	60.3°F	analysis
Today	57.2°F	53.7°F	60.1°F	analysis
Nov 12	57.6°F	56.0°F	58.8°F	forecast
Nov 13	51.9°F	51.0°F	54.1°F	forecast
Nov 14	46.9°F	44.0°F	48.3°F	forecast
Nov 15	45.4°F	41.4°F	48.7°F	forecast
Nov 16	46.4°F	43.7°F	48.4°F	forecast
Nov 17	45.9°F	42.6°F	48.9°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 11
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 2
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Mar 6
60°F	Tomatoes	Apr 14
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 19

Shelby, NC, 32 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

28043 58°F · 28019 58°F · 28076 58°F · 28024 58°F · 28114 58°F · 29323 57°F · 28160 57°F · 28139 57°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 28074 today?: About 57°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°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 11.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 28074?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 2 and 55°F from Mar 6.

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).