What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 53706 today?

About 48°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 46°F and high 49°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 11.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 53706?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 15 and 55°F from May 26.

ZIP 53706 · Madison, WI · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 53706

48°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 46°F · high 49°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 11.1 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

10° cooler

58°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

45°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	57.9°F	54.9°F	60.6°F	analysis
Nov 5	50.7°F	49.4°F	52.7°F	analysis
Nov 6	44.8°F	43.3°F	47.4°F	analysis
Nov 7	41.0°F	37.9°F	44.1°F	analysis
Nov 8	44.2°F	41.3°F	48.4°F	analysis
Nov 9	45.8°F	42.7°F	48.8°F	analysis
Nov 10	48.1°F	45.1°F	51.1°F	analysis
Today	47.7°F	46.3°F	48.6°F	analysis
Nov 12	43.7°F	41.8°F	46.9°F	forecast
Nov 13	37.4°F	35.0°F	38.7°F	forecast
Nov 14	35.9°F	33.6°F	38.9°F	forecast
Nov 15	37.0°F	33.7°F	40.3°F	forecast
Nov 16	37.4°F	33.8°F	40.9°F	forecast
Nov 17	38.7°F	35.4°F	42.2°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 15
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 26
60°F	Tomatoes	Jun 5
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	not reached

Madison, WI, 1 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

53726 48°F · 53792 48°F · 53703 48°F · 53715 48°F · 53705 48°F · 53713 48°F · 53711 48°F · 53716 48°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 53706 today?: About 48°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 46°F and high 49°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 11.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 53706?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 15 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).