What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 53172 today?

About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 49°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 15 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 53172?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 12 and 55°F from May 26.

ZIP 53172 · South Milwaukee, WI · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 53172

50°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 49°F · high 51°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 15 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

11° cooler

62°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

49°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 26

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	61.5°F	58.9°F	62.7°F	analysis
Nov 5	53.9°F	52.6°F	55.7°F	analysis
Nov 6	47.5°F	45.6°F	49.6°F	analysis
Nov 7	44.6°F	40.9°F	47.8°F	analysis
Nov 8	47.6°F	43.4°F	52.6°F	analysis
Nov 9	49.2°F	45.2°F	52.5°F	analysis
Nov 10	52.0°F	48.2°F	55.3°F	analysis
Today	50.3°F	49.0°F	51.3°F	analysis
Nov 12	45.7°F	44.2°F	48.3°F	forecast
Nov 13	40.5°F	38.1°F	41.9°F	forecast
Nov 14	39.1°F	35.9°F	42.4°F	forecast
Nov 15	40.8°F	37.3°F	43.3°F	forecast
Nov 16	41.4°F	37.5°F	44.7°F	forecast
Nov 17	41.7°F	37.7°F	45.2°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 12
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 26
60°F	Tomatoes	Jun 5
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	not reached

Caledonia, WI, 13 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

53110 50°F · 53154 50°F · 53235 50°F · 53207 50°F · 53221 50°F · 53215 50°F · 53129 50°F · 53220 50°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 53172 today?: About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 49°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 15 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 53172?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 12 and 55°F from May 26.

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).