What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 66531 today?

About 56°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 59°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 10.3 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 66531?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 21 and 55°F from Mar 22.

ZIP 66531 · Fort Riley North, KS · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 66531

56°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 54°F · high 59°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 10.3 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

2° warmer

54°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

53°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Mar 22

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	53.8°F	51.8°F	55.5°F	analysis
Nov 5	51.4°F	48.7°F	54.0°F	analysis
Nov 6	47.8°F	44.7°F	50.2°F	analysis
Nov 7	45.9°F	42.0°F	50.6°F	analysis
Nov 8	50.7°F	46.7°F	56.6°F	analysis
Nov 9	54.4°F	50.3°F	59.7°F	analysis
Nov 10	56.2°F	52.3°F	60.5°F	analysis
Today	56.2°F	53.7°F	58.6°F	analysis
Nov 12	52.3°F	49.9°F	54.1°F	forecast
Nov 13	46.1°F	42.9°F	48.3°F	forecast
Nov 14	42.8°F	39.9°F	45.7°F	forecast
Nov 15	44.9°F	42.5°F	48.0°F	forecast
Nov 16	45.3°F	41.7°F	49.5°F	forecast
Nov 17	46.9°F	43.3°F	51.3°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 9
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 21
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Mar 22
60°F	Tomatoes	May 12
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 27

Junction City, KS, 32 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

66449 56°F · 66503 56°F · 66554 56°F · 66514 56°F · 67447 56°F · 66520 56°F · 67487 56°F · 66442 56°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 66531 today?: About 56°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 59°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 10.3 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 66531?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 21 and 55°F from Mar 22.

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).