What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 56045 today?

About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 48°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 3.4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 56045?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 10 and 55°F from May 13.

ZIP 56045 · Albert Lea, MN · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 56045

50°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 48°F · high 51°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 3.4 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

2° cooler

52°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

47°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 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	51.7°F	48.8°F	55.2°F	analysis
Nov 5	48.6°F	47.8°F	49.4°F	analysis
Nov 6	42.9°F	39.3°F	45.2°F	analysis
Nov 7	42.3°F	38.4°F	47.1°F	analysis
Nov 8	46.3°F	43.4°F	49.2°F	analysis
Nov 9	46.9°F	42.3°F	52.4°F	analysis
Nov 10	48.2°F	44.0°F	51.8°F	analysis
Today	49.8°F	47.6°F	51.4°F	analysis
Nov 12	43.1°F	42.0°F	45.6°F	forecast
Nov 13	36.4°F	34.8°F	37.7°F	forecast
Nov 14	36.0°F	33.9°F	39.3°F	forecast
Nov 15	36.9°F	34.8°F	40.6°F	forecast
Nov 16	38.8°F	35.2°F	43.1°F	forecast
Nov 17	41.2°F	38.1°F	45.0°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 10
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 13
60°F	Tomatoes	May 26
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 27

Albert Lea, MN, 18 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

56035 50°F · 56016 50°F · 56043 50°F · 56007 50°F · 56026 49°F · 55917 49°F · 55950 49°F · 55912 49°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 56045 today?: About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 48°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 3.4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 56045?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 10 and 55°F from May 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).