What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 47281 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 10.2 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 47281?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 22 and 55°F from Apr 12.

ZIP 47281 · Salem, IN · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 47281

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 10.2 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

10° cooler

66°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

51°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Apr 12

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	65.8°F	64.9°F	67.2°F	analysis
Nov 5	58.8°F	56.6°F	60.6°F	analysis
Nov 6	55.3°F	53.4°F	57.5°F	analysis
Nov 7	48.1°F	45.4°F	49.9°F	analysis
Nov 8	47.2°F	43.6°F	50.9°F	analysis
Nov 9	50.5°F	46.8°F	54.6°F	analysis
Nov 10	53.7°F	50.1°F	58.1°F	analysis
Today	55.8°F	53.0°F	58.7°F	analysis
Nov 12	52.9°F	50.6°F	56.1°F	forecast
Nov 13	44.9°F	44.0°F	46.9°F	forecast
Nov 14	41.4°F	38.4°F	43.7°F	forecast
Nov 15	41.3°F	37.5°F	44.7°F	forecast
Nov 16	41.6°F	38.2°F	44.6°F	forecast
Nov 17	42.0°F	38.2°F	45.5°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	Mar 1
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 22
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Apr 12
60°F	Tomatoes	May 19
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	Jun 6

Seymour, IN, 27 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

47260 56°F · 47220 55°F · 47167 55°F · 47108 56°F · 47467 56°F · 47229 56°F · 47264 55°F · 47274 55°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 47281 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 10.2 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 47281?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 22 and 55°F from Apr 12.

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).