What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 68860 today?

About 53°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 50°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 13.5 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 68860?

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 May 11.

ZIP 68860 · Lexington, NE · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 68860

53°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 50°F · high 56°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 13.5 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

6° warmer

47°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

52°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 11

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	47.2°F	44.4°F	50.3°F	analysis
Nov 5	49.0°F	46.9°F	51.8°F	analysis
Nov 6	45.5°F	40.9°F	50.1°F	analysis
Nov 7	49.2°F	44.7°F	55.3°F	analysis
Nov 8	52.8°F	49.4°F	56.6°F	analysis
Nov 9	53.3°F	49.9°F	57.3°F	analysis
Nov 10	51.3°F	47.6°F	55.0°F	analysis
Today	52.7°F	50.1°F	55.7°F	analysis
Nov 12	49.3°F	46.7°F	51.3°F	forecast
Nov 13	44.8°F	41.8°F	47.2°F	forecast
Nov 14	42.8°F	40.4°F	45.5°F	forecast
Nov 15	44.1°F	42.5°F	47.3°F	forecast
Nov 16	48.8°F	47.1°F	50.8°F	forecast
Nov 17	49.2°F	46.9°F	52.2°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	May 11
60°F	Tomatoes	May 26
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	May 28

Kearney, NE, 77 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

68834 53°F · 68825 53°F · 68878 53°F · 69130 52°F · 68822 52°F · 68850 53°F · 69171 52°F · 69138 53°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 68860 today?: About 53°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 50°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 13.5 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 68860?: 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 May 11.

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).