What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51244 today?

About 48°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 45°F and high 51°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 51244?

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 51244 · Sheldon, IA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 51244

48°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 45°F · high 51°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

48°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

47°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	48.1°F	46.2°F	50.3°F	analysis
Nov 5	46.2°F	44.7°F	47.1°F	analysis
Nov 6	41.4°F	38.6°F	44.1°F	analysis
Nov 7	42.2°F	37.7°F	48.4°F	analysis
Nov 8	46.9°F	43.8°F	50.2°F	analysis
Nov 9	48.6°F	44.5°F	54.0°F	analysis
Nov 10	48.4°F	44.9°F	51.7°F	analysis
Today	48.2°F	45.2°F	50.9°F	analysis
Nov 12	42.9°F	40.6°F	45.8°F	forecast
Nov 13	37.6°F	36.1°F	39.7°F	forecast
Nov 14	36.2°F	34.5°F	39.2°F	forecast
Nov 15	36.6°F	34.2°F	39.7°F	forecast
Nov 16	41.8°F	38.8°F	46.5°F	forecast
Nov 17	44.6°F	41.8°F	48.3°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 13
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 11
60°F	Tomatoes	May 26
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 27

Sioux Falls, SD, 72 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

51201 48°F · 51234 48°F · 51237 48°F · 51232 48°F · 51239 48°F · 51238 49°F · 51231 49°F · 51243 47°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51244 today?: About 48°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 45°F and high 51°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 51244?: 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).