What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 71303 today?

About 68°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 65°F and high 71°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 5.7 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 71303?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Feb 7 and 55°F from Feb 10.

ZIP 71303 · Alexandria, LA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 71303

68°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 65°F · high 71°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 5.7 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

3° cooler

71°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

65°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Feb 10

crabgrass germination temperature

What the soil says today

Pre-emergentSeason over
Cool-season seedToo late in the season
Warm-season seedToo cold
TomatoesSoil warm enough
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	70.7°F	69.2°F	73.0°F	analysis
Nov 5	67.0°F	63.2°F	70.8°F	analysis
Nov 6	67.7°F	64.5°F	71.1°F	analysis
Nov 7	66.3°F	64.7°F	67.6°F	analysis
Nov 8	62.6°F	60.5°F	64.5°F	analysis
Nov 9	61.9°F	58.9°F	65.6°F	analysis
Nov 10	65.2°F	61.5°F	69.9°F	analysis
Today	67.8°F	65.0°F	71.3°F	analysis
Nov 12	67.5°F	65.8°F	69.2°F	forecast
Nov 13	63.1°F	60.4°F	65.1°F	forecast
Nov 14	59.4°F	57.3°F	61.7°F	forecast
Nov 15	57.7°F	55.7°F	59.9°F	forecast
Nov 16	57.4°F	55.0°F	59.6°F	forecast
Nov 17	56.3°F	53.4°F	59.1°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	Jan 30
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Feb 7
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Feb 10
60°F	Tomatoes	Feb 12
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	Mar 4

Alexandria, LA, 10 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

71301 68°F · 71485 68°F · 71359 68°F · 71409 68°F · 71424 68°F · 71360 68°F · 71302 68°F · 71405 68°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 71303 today?: About 68°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 65°F and high 71°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 5.7 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 71303?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Feb 7 and 55°F from Feb 10.

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).