What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 96142 today?

About 47°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 45°F and high 50°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 12.6 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 96142?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Jun 4 and 55°F from Jun 13.

ZIP 96142 · South Lake Tahoe, CA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 96142

47°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 45°F · high 50°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 12.6 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

8° warmer

39°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

44°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

Jun 13

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	39.3°F	38.4°F	40.3°F	analysis
Nov 5	39.2°F	37.7°F	42.8°F	analysis
Nov 6	39.8°F	38.1°F	42.8°F	analysis
Nov 7	41.6°F	39.1°F	46.4°F	analysis
Nov 8	43.5°F	41.1°F	47.5°F	analysis
Nov 9	43.9°F	41.8°F	47.0°F	analysis
Nov 10	44.8°F	41.8°F	50.1°F	analysis
Today	46.9°F	44.7°F	50.3°F	analysis
Nov 12	45.7°F	43.8°F	48.2°F	forecast
Nov 13	42.4°F	41.3°F	45.1°F	forecast
Nov 14	40.1°F	39.9°F	40.4°F	forecast
Nov 15	38.5°F	38.0°F	39.2°F	forecast
Nov 16	37.6°F	37.3°F	37.9°F	forecast
Nov 17	37.8°F	37.5°F	38.2°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	Mar 18
50°F	Pre-emergent window opens	Jun 4
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	Jun 13
60°F	Tomatoes	not reached
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	not reached

South Lake Tahoe, CA, 13 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

96141 47°F · 96150 46°F · 89448 47°F · 89449 47°F · 89413 47°F · 95735 52°F · 95721 46°F · 96145 46°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 96142 today?: About 47°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 45°F and high 50°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 12.6 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 96142?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Jun 4 and 55°F from Jun 13.

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).