What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 50628 today?

About 49°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 48°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 8.9 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 50628?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 11 and 55°F from May 25.

ZIP 50628 · Charles City, IA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 50628

49°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 48°F · high 52°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 8.9 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

5° cooler

55°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

46°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 25

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	54.6°F	50.6°F	58.9°F	analysis
Nov 5	48.7°F	48.2°F	49.0°F	analysis
Nov 6	43.2°F	40.6°F	45.4°F	analysis
Nov 7	41.3°F	38.0°F	45.1°F	analysis
Nov 8	44.9°F	42.0°F	48.4°F	analysis
Nov 9	45.8°F	41.8°F	50.7°F	analysis
Nov 10	48.1°F	44.5°F	51.6°F	analysis
Today	49.3°F	47.6°F	51.5°F	analysis
Nov 12	43.2°F	41.8°F	46.7°F	forecast
Nov 13	37.1°F	36.1°F	38.6°F	forecast
Nov 14	35.6°F	34.0°F	37.3°F	forecast
Nov 15	36.3°F	35.1°F	38.8°F	forecast
Nov 16	37.4°F	35.4°F	40.9°F	forecast
Nov 17	39.5°F	36.4°F	43.0°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 22
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	May 11
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 25
60°F	Tomatoes	May 27
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	not reached

Austin, MN, 64 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

50603 49°F · 50466 49°F · 52155 48°F · 50659 50°F · 50620 49°F · 52134 49°F · 52163 49°F · 50460 50°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 50628 today?: About 49°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 48°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 8.9 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 50628?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 11 and 55°F from May 25.

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).