ZIP 68840 · Kearney, NE · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 68840

53°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 51°F · high 56°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 10.4 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago
6° warmer
48°F on Nov 4
5-day mean
52°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.

30°40°50°60°70°50–55°F windowNov 4Nov 6Nov 8TodayNov 14Nov 1648°53°48°
View as table
DayAverageLowHigh
Nov 447.9°F45.6°F50.6°Fanalysis
Nov 549.3°F47.4°F51.7°Fanalysis
Nov 645.5°F41.3°F49.3°Fanalysis
Nov 748.2°F43.8°F54.6°Fanalysis
Nov 852.4°F49.2°F56.4°Fanalysis
Nov 953.1°F49.6°F57.8°Fanalysis
Nov 1052.7°F49.0°F56.2°Fanalysis
Today53.4°F51.2°F56.4°Fanalysis
Nov 1249.6°F47.4°F51.4°Fforecast
Nov 1344.8°F41.8°F47.2°Fforecast
Nov 1442.6°F40.0°F45.2°Fforecast
Nov 1543.3°F41.4°F46.3°Fforecast
Nov 1646.1°F43.5°F49.3°Fforecast
Nov 1747.8°F45.2°F51.9°Fforecast
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.

SoilWhat it meansHeld from (spring 2026)
40°FPeas and lettuceFeb 9
50°FPre-emergent window opensMar 21
55°FCrabgrass can germinateApr 12
60°FTomatoesMay 25
65°FWarm-season grass seedMay 27

Kearney, NE, 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.

68847 53°F · 68876 54°F · 68849 53°F · 68956 54°F · 68945 54°F · 68845 53°F · 68870 53°F · 68883 54°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 68840 today?
About 53°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 51°F and high 56°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 10.4 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 68840?
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 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).