What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 50574 today?

About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 47°F and high 52°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 5.4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 50574?

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 Apr 14.

ZIP 50574 · Iowa · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 50574

50°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 47°F · high 52°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 5.4 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

No change

50°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

48°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Apr 14

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	49.9°F	47.8°F	52.5°F	analysis
Nov 5	48.9°F	47.4°F	50.3°F	analysis
Nov 6	44.6°F	40.8°F	47.2°F	analysis
Nov 7	43.6°F	38.9°F	49.4°F	analysis
Nov 8	48.3°F	44.9°F	52.1°F	analysis
Nov 9	49.3°F	44.5°F	55.2°F	analysis
Nov 10	50.8°F	46.2°F	55.0°F	analysis
Today	50.3°F	47.2°F	52.4°F	analysis
Nov 12	44.5°F	42.0°F	47.8°F	forecast
Nov 13	38.6°F	37.2°F	40.8°F	forecast
Nov 14	37.4°F	35.5°F	40.8°F	forecast
Nov 15	38.0°F	35.5°F	41.9°F	forecast
Nov 16	42.6°F	38.8°F	46.9°F	forecast
Nov 17	43.8°F	40.0°F	48.0°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	Apr 14
60°F	Tomatoes	May 12
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 27

Fort Dodge, IA, 50 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

50571 50°F · 50546 50°F · 50593 50°F · 50540 50°F · 50575 50°F · 50554 50°F · 50581 50°F · 50573 50°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 50574 today?: About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 47°F and high 52°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 5.4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 50574?: 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 Apr 14.

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).