What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51001 today?

About 50°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 10.7 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 51001?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Apr 13 and 55°F from May 11.

ZIP 51001 · Le Mars, IA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 51001

50°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 10.7 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

1° warmer

49°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

49°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 11

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	48.9°F	46.9°F	51.4°F	analysis
Nov 5	46.9°F	45.4°F	48.2°F	analysis
Nov 6	42.1°F	38.6°F	45.2°F	analysis
Nov 7	43.8°F	39.1°F	50.4°F	analysis
Nov 8	49.0°F	45.9°F	52.2°F	analysis
Nov 9	50.3°F	46.3°F	55.5°F	analysis
Nov 10	50.4°F	46.5°F	53.9°F	analysis
Today	50.1°F	47.8°F	52.4°F	analysis
Nov 12	45.4°F	43.4°F	48.9°F	forecast
Nov 13	39.1°F	36.1°F	41.7°F	forecast
Nov 14	37.3°F	34.1°F	41.0°F	forecast
Nov 15	40.6°F	38.0°F	44.4°F	forecast
Nov 16	44.2°F	41.1°F	48.1°F	forecast
Nov 17	45.9°F	42.9°F	49.7°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 6
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Apr 13
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 11
60°F	Tomatoes	May 26
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 27

Sioux City, IA, 40 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

51011 49°F · 51062 50°F · 57025 51°F · 51023 49°F · 57001 50°F · 57010 51°F · 51027 49°F · 51008 50°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51001 today?: About 50°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 10.7 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 51001?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Apr 13 and 55°F from May 11.

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).