What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 88260 today?

About 59°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 65°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 11 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 88260?

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 88260 · Lovington, NM · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 88260

59°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 54°F · high 65°F

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

On a week ago

No change

59°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

57°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
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	58.6°F	53.7°F	64.1°F	analysis
Nov 5	59.0°F	55.5°F	62.5°F	analysis
Nov 6	56.2°F	51.4°F	61.9°F	analysis
Nov 7	55.0°F	54.2°F	56.8°F	analysis
Nov 8	56.5°F	52.8°F	63.1°F	analysis
Nov 9	57.8°F	52.8°F	63.9°F	analysis
Nov 10	59.2°F	54.1°F	65.2°F	analysis
Today	58.8°F	53.9°F	64.6°F	analysis
Nov 12	58.5°F	52.8°F	64.8°F	forecast
Nov 13	58.4°F	53.4°F	64.0°F	forecast
Nov 14	56.4°F	54.5°F	58.8°F	forecast
Nov 15	55.8°F	52.4°F	61.1°F	forecast
Nov 16	54.5°F	52.1°F	56.8°F	forecast
Nov 17	53.8°F	52.8°F	55.4°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 2
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Feb 7
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Feb 10
60°F	Tomatoes	Feb 27
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	Mar 21

Hobbs, NM, 40 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

This ZIP code area covers about 815 square miles; the reading is for the model grid cell nearest its Census centre point, which can be far from where you are. Try a neighbouring ZIP if it looks off.

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

88262 58°F · 88242 60°F · 88244 60°F · 88264 61°F · 88267 58°F · 88240 59°F · 79323 61°F · 88265 61°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 88260 today?: About 59°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 54°F and high 65°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 11 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 88260?: 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).