What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 42101 today?

About 55°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°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 7.2 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 42101?

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 Apr 11.

ZIP 42101 · Bowling Green, KY · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 42101

55°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 52°F · high 58°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 7.2 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	66.5°F	65.9°F	67.4°F	analysis
Nov 5	60.8°F	58.6°F	62.4°F	analysis
Nov 6	57.3°F	56.4°F	59.5°F	analysis
Nov 7	50.8°F	48.3°F	52.5°F	analysis
Nov 8	49.3°F	45.9°F	52.3°F	analysis
Nov 9	51.4°F	47.8°F	55.5°F	analysis
Nov 10	53.9°F	50.7°F	57.5°F	analysis
Today	54.7°F	51.5°F	58.1°F	analysis
Nov 12	55.0°F	54.3°F	56.6°F	forecast
Nov 13	47.5°F	46.5°F	50.1°F	forecast
Nov 14	42.5°F	39.7°F	44.7°F	forecast
Nov 15	42.3°F	39.1°F	45.6°F	forecast
Nov 16	43.5°F	40.4°F	46.4°F	forecast
Nov 17	43.7°F	40.4°F	46.9°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 13
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 4
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Apr 11
60°F	Tomatoes	May 17
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 19

Bowling Green, KY, 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.

42103 54°F · 42274 55°F · 42275 55°F · 42252 55°F · 42159 54°F · 42104 55°F · 42210 54°F · 42261 56°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 42101 today?: About 55°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°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 7.2 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 42101?: 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 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).