What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 62897 today?

About 58°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 63°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 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 62897?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 5 and 55°F from Mar 29.

ZIP 62897 · Benton, IL · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 62897

58°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 54°F · high 63°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 13 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

6° cooler

65°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

54°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Mar 29

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	64.6°F	62.4°F	67.1°F	analysis
Nov 5	57.9°F	54.8°F	60.7°F	analysis
Nov 6	56.8°F	55.5°F	57.5°F	analysis
Nov 7	50.0°F	46.5°F	52.1°F	analysis
Nov 8	49.0°F	44.7°F	53.9°F	analysis
Nov 9	53.9°F	49.2°F	59.5°F	analysis
Nov 10	57.3°F	53.5°F	61.4°F	analysis
Today	58.3°F	54.2°F	62.9°F	analysis
Nov 12	55.6°F	53.9°F	58.9°F	forecast
Nov 13	46.8°F	44.5°F	49.4°F	forecast
Nov 14	42.9°F	39.3°F	46.0°F	forecast
Nov 15	43.4°F	39.5°F	47.3°F	forecast
Nov 16	44.5°F	40.8°F	48.0°F	forecast
Nov 17	44.8°F	40.8°F	48.6°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 14
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 5
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Mar 29
60°F	Tomatoes	May 13
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 26

Mount Vernon, IL, 25 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

62846 58°F · 62836 58°F · 62812 58°F · 62816 58°F · 62884 58°F · 62891 58°F · 62819 58°F · 62825 58°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 62897 today?: About 58°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 63°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 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 62897?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 5 and 55°F from Mar 29.

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).