What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 88053 today?

About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 46°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 12 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 88053?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 12 and 55°F from Mar 16.

ZIP 88053 · Silver City, NM · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 88053

50°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 46°F · high 56°F

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

On a week ago

1° warmer

49°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

49°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Mar 16

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	49.2°F	45.4°F	53.6°F	analysis
Nov 5	48.5°F	44.5°F	53.0°F	analysis
Nov 6	48.5°F	47.2°F	49.7°F	analysis
Nov 7	47.8°F	45.8°F	49.5°F	analysis
Nov 8	47.4°F	43.6°F	52.9°F	analysis
Nov 9	48.9°F	44.3°F	55.2°F	analysis
Nov 10	49.6°F	45.1°F	55.3°F	analysis
Today	49.9°F	45.6°F	55.8°F	analysis
Nov 12	50.0°F	46.0°F	54.7°F	forecast
Nov 13	49.5°F	46.2°F	53.2°F	forecast
Nov 14	48.4°F	46.7°F	50.1°F	forecast
Nov 15	45.9°F	42.0°F	51.2°F	forecast
Nov 16	47.0°F	43.7°F	51.2°F	forecast
Nov 17	47.7°F	44.2°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	Jan 17
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Mar 12
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Mar 16
60°F	Tomatoes	Mar 21
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	Jun 1

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

88022 54°F · 88026 54°F · 88065 54°F · 88023 54°F · 88049 48°F · 88038 48°F · 88041 54°F · 88043 57°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 88053 today?: About 50°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 46°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 12 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 88053?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Mar 12 and 55°F from Mar 16.

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).