What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 48851 today?

About 48°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 46°F and high 49°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 7.5 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 48851?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 17 and 55°F from May 27.

ZIP 48851 · Ionia, MI · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 48851

48°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 46°F · high 49°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 7.5 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

16° cooler

64°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

47°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 27

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	64.3°F	63.8°F	64.9°F	analysis
Nov 5	57.0°F	54.6°F	60.4°F	analysis
Nov 6	48.7°F	46.8°F	51.7°F	analysis
Nov 7	46.2°F	44.3°F	47.8°F	analysis
Nov 8	45.8°F	42.2°F	50.3°F	analysis
Nov 9	47.8°F	44.7°F	49.8°F	analysis
Nov 10	49.5°F	46.2°F	53.1°F	analysis
Today	48.0°F	45.9°F	49.0°F	analysis
Nov 12	43.9°F	42.5°F	46.5°F	forecast
Nov 13	40.1°F	38.2°F	40.8°F	forecast
Nov 14	38.7°F	35.7°F	41.2°F	forecast
Nov 15	37.6°F	34.6°F	39.9°F	forecast
Nov 16	37.1°F	32.7°F	41.0°F	forecast
Nov 17	38.5°F	34.1°F	42.5°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	Apr 10
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	May 17
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 27
60°F	Tomatoes	Jun 6
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	not reached

Lansing, MI, 39 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

48875 48°F · 48846 48°F · 48873 48°F · 48860 48°F · 48894 48°F · 48835 48°F · 48870 48°F · 48845 48°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 48851 today?: About 48°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 46°F and high 49°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 7.5 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 48851?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 17 and 55°F from May 27.

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).