What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51601 today?

About 54°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°F and high 55°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 8.3 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 51601?

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 13.

ZIP 51601 · Shenandoah, IA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 51601

54°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 52°F · high 55°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 8.3 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

No change

54°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

51°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Apr 13

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	53.5°F	52.3°F	55.9°F	analysis
Nov 5	51.4°F	50.7°F	52.0°F	analysis
Nov 6	48.1°F	46.3°F	49.7°F	analysis
Nov 7	44.8°F	41.8°F	48.5°F	analysis
Nov 8	49.1°F	45.9°F	53.8°F	analysis
Nov 9	51.7°F	47.4°F	57.4°F	analysis
Nov 10	54.1°F	51.0°F	57.2°F	analysis
Today	53.6°F	51.9°F	55.3°F	analysis
Nov 12	48.3°F	47.2°F	51.2°F	forecast
Nov 13	41.7°F	39.0°F	43.5°F	forecast
Nov 14	39.2°F	37.9°F	41.9°F	forecast
Nov 15	40.0°F	38.4°F	41.9°F	forecast
Nov 16	42.0°F	38.8°F	46.3°F	forecast
Nov 17	43.8°F	40.6°F	47.7°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	Feb 28
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 22
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Apr 13
60°F	Tomatoes	May 12
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 28

Omaha, NE, 76 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

51639 54°F · 51636 54°F · 51638 54°F · 51647 54°F · 51656 54°F · 51645 53°F · 51650 54°F · 51630 54°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 51601 today?: About 54°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°F and high 55°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 8.3 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 51601?: 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 13.

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).