What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 50542 today?

About 51°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 48°F and high 53°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 5.9 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 50542?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Apr 12 and 55°F from May 5.

ZIP 50542 · Fort Dodge, IA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 50542

51°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 48°F · high 53°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 5.9 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

1° cooler

52°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

48°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 5

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	51.5°F	48.8°F	55.0°F	analysis
Nov 5	49.0°F	48.0°F	49.9°F	analysis
Nov 6	45.4°F	42.0°F	47.9°F	analysis
Nov 7	44.0°F	39.8°F	48.8°F	analysis
Nov 8	47.8°F	44.2°F	52.0°F	analysis
Nov 9	49.0°F	44.2°F	55.0°F	analysis
Nov 10	50.8°F	46.0°F	55.1°F	analysis
Today	50.8°F	47.8°F	52.9°F	analysis
Nov 12	44.9°F	42.2°F	48.2°F	forecast
Nov 13	38.6°F	37.3°F	40.5°F	forecast
Nov 14	38.0°F	35.9°F	41.6°F	forecast
Nov 15	38.5°F	35.7°F	42.1°F	forecast
Nov 16	40.7°F	37.7°F	45.0°F	forecast
Nov 17	42.4°F	38.8°F	46.5°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 21
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Apr 12
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 5
60°F	Tomatoes	May 12
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 27

Fort Dodge, IA, 37 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

50577 51°F · 50545 51°F · 50533 51°F · 50591 51°F · 50525 51°F · 50558 51°F · 50447 50°F · 50430 50°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 50542 today?: About 51°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 48°F and high 53°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 5.9 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 50542?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Apr 12 and 55°F from May 5.

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).