What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 38501 today?

About 54°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 51°F and high 57°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 4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 38501?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 3 and 55°F from Apr 11.

ZIP 38501 · Cookeville, TN · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 38501

54°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 51°F · high 57°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 4 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

12° cooler

66°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

52°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Apr 11

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	65.9°F	65.4°F	66.5°F	analysis
Nov 5	62.1°F	60.4°F	64.2°F	analysis
Nov 6	58.0°F	56.4°F	59.5°F	analysis
Nov 7	52.6°F	50.1°F	55.0°F	analysis
Nov 8	50.1°F	46.5°F	53.1°F	analysis
Nov 9	50.6°F	46.7°F	54.7°F	analysis
Nov 10	53.2°F	49.8°F	57.2°F	analysis
Today	54.4°F	51.2°F	57.4°F	analysis
Nov 12	54.0°F	52.5°F	56.4°F	forecast
Nov 13	45.3°F	44.0°F	48.9°F	forecast
Nov 14	40.5°F	37.2°F	43.3°F	forecast
Nov 15	41.5°F	37.7°F	45.6°F	forecast
Nov 16	44.4°F	40.6°F	48.1°F	forecast
Nov 17	45.0°F	41.3°F	48.3°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	Feb 12
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 3
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Apr 11
60°F	Tomatoes	May 18
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 20

Cookeville, TN, 8 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

38505 54°F · 38503 54°F · 38506 54°F · 38545 55°F · 38544 55°F · 38562 55°F · 38564 55°F · 38580 54°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 38501 today?: About 54°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 51°F and high 57°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 4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 38501?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 3 and 55°F from Apr 11.

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).