What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 62881 today?

About 58°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 62°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 13.9 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 62881?

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 12.

ZIP 62881 · Salem, IL · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 62881

58°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 54°F · high 62°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 13.9 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

6° cooler

63°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

53°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Apr 12

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	63.3°F	61.3°F	65.9°F	analysis
Nov 5	56.4°F	53.4°F	59.0°F	analysis
Nov 6	56.0°F	55.4°F	56.6°F	analysis
Nov 7	48.5°F	44.7°F	51.2°F	analysis
Nov 8	48.1°F	43.6°F	53.6°F	analysis
Nov 9	52.5°F	47.8°F	57.7°F	analysis
Nov 10	56.4°F	52.5°F	60.8°F	analysis
Today	57.6°F	53.7°F	61.7°F	analysis
Nov 12	53.9°F	52.1°F	57.2°F	forecast
Nov 13	44.9°F	42.4°F	47.1°F	forecast
Nov 14	41.6°F	37.9°F	45.1°F	forecast
Nov 15	42.5°F	38.4°F	46.6°F	forecast
Nov 16	43.7°F	39.9°F	47.4°F	forecast
Nov 17	43.9°F	39.7°F	47.8°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 12
60°F	Tomatoes	May 16
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 28

Mount Vernon, IL, 36 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

62870 58°F · 62807 58°F · 62853 58°F · 62849 58°F · 62882 58°F · 62854 58°F · 62893 58°F · 62875 58°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 62881 today?: About 58°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 62°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 13.9 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 62881?: 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 12.

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).