ZIP 85121 · Sun Lakes, AZ · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 85121

71°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 65°F · high 78°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 14.9 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago
2° warmer
69°F on Nov 4
5-day mean
71°F
what the verdicts use
Held 55°F last spring
Jan 14
crabgrass germination temperature

What the soil says today

  • Pre-emergentSeason over
  • Cool-season seedToo late in the season
  • Warm-season seedWarm enough
  • 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.

40°50°60°70°80°90°50–55°F windowNov 4Nov 6Nov 8TodayNov 14Nov 1669°71°70°
View as table
DayAverageLowHigh
Nov 469.0°F63.4°F76.4°Fanalysis
Nov 568.9°F63.4°F76.3°Fanalysis
Nov 669.9°F64.4°F77.9°Fanalysis
Nov 770.3°F65.2°F77.5°Fanalysis
Nov 871.0°F65.6°F78.2°Fanalysis
Nov 970.5°F64.7°F78.3°Fanalysis
Nov 1071.2°F65.2°F79.6°Fanalysis
Today70.9°F65.4°F78.3°Fanalysis
Nov 1270.8°F65.1°F78.4°Fforecast
Nov 1370.6°F66.7°F74.9°Fforecast
Nov 1468.8°F64.9°F73.1°Fforecast
Nov 1570.3°F66.3°F76.9°Fforecast
Nov 1669.8°F64.5°F76.6°Fforecast
Nov 1769.7°F65.1°F75.2°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 lettucenever below
50°FPre-emergent window opensnever below
55°FCrabgrass can germinateJan 14
60°FTomatoesFeb 1
65°FWarm-season grass seedFeb 6

Maricopa, AZ, 15 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

85248 71°F · 85249 71°F · 85138 70°F · 85226 71°F · 85286 71°F · 85147 69°F · 85298 71°F · 85224 71°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 85121 today?
About 71°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 65°F and high 78°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 14.9 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 85121?
Soil here stayed above 50°F all last winter, so the 50 to 55°F soil rule gives no spring window. Time pre-emergent to your local calendar.

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).