What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51566 today?

About 53°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 51°F and high 54°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 2.4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 51566?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 22 and 55°F from Apr 14.

ZIP 51566 · Red Oak, IA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 51566

53°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 51°F · high 54°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 2.4 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

No change

53°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

50°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	53.1°F	51.6°F	55.5°F	analysis
Nov 5	51.1°F	50.1°F	51.9°F	analysis
Nov 6	47.7°F	45.8°F	49.4°F	analysis
Nov 7	44.4°F	41.1°F	48.3°F	analysis
Nov 8	48.9°F	45.6°F	53.4°F	analysis
Nov 9	51.4°F	47.0°F	57.2°F	analysis
Nov 10	53.6°F	50.3°F	56.9°F	analysis
Today	52.8°F	51.0°F	54.4°F	analysis
Nov 12	47.6°F	46.5°F	50.3°F	forecast
Nov 13	41.1°F	38.4°F	42.9°F	forecast
Nov 14	38.7°F	37.3°F	41.4°F	forecast
Nov 15	39.1°F	37.5°F	40.9°F	forecast
Nov 16	41.3°F	37.9°F	45.9°F	forecast
Nov 17	43.6°F	40.4°F	47.5°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 2
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 22
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Apr 14
60°F	Tomatoes	May 12
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 27

Omaha, NE, 65 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

51573 52°F · 51533 53°F · 51532 51°F · 51638 54°F · 51541 52°F · 50864 52°F · 51645 53°F · 51540 53°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51566 today?: About 53°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 51°F and high 54°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 2.4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 51566?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 22 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).