What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 98542 today?

About 53°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°F and high 55°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 4.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.

Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 98542?

The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 1 and 55°F from May 29.

ZIP 98542 · Chehalis, WA · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature for ZIP code 98542

53°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep (modelled)
low 52°F · high 55°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS, not measured · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 4.1 km from the ZIP centre point

On a week ago

6° warmer

48°F on Nov 4

5-day mean

51°F

what the verdicts use

Held 55°F last spring

May 29

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	47.5°F	46.0°F	49.2°F	analysis
Nov 5	49.5°F	48.7°F	51.3°F	analysis
Nov 6	49.7°F	49.0°F	50.9°F	analysis
Nov 7	50.6°F	49.4°F	52.5°F	analysis
Nov 8	52.8°F	51.8°F	54.1°F	analysis
Nov 9	49.3°F	48.0°F	50.7°F	analysis
Nov 10	50.8°F	49.8°F	52.2°F	analysis
Today	53.1°F	52.2°F	55.0°F	analysis
Nov 12	53.4°F	52.5°F	54.2°F	forecast
Nov 13	51.3°F	50.5°F	52.7°F	forecast
Nov 14	49.3°F	48.9°F	49.8°F	forecast
Nov 15	50.0°F	49.6°F	50.6°F	forecast
Nov 16	47.8°F	46.6°F	49.0°F	forecast
Nov 17	44.1°F	42.1°F	45.8°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	May 1
55°F	Crabgrass can germinate	May 29
60°F	Tomatoes	Jun 16
65°F	Warm-season grass seed	not reached

Centralia, WA, 27 km away: the full city page, with the 2026 season chart, growing degree days and nearby cities →

Nearby ZIP codes

Today's modelled average.

98582 53°F · 98591 53°F · 98570 54°F · 98565 53°F · 98596 53°F · 98585 52°F · 98645 53°F · 98564 52°F

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

Questions

What is the soil temperature in ZIP code 98542 today?: About 53°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), low 52°F and high 55°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 4.1 km from the ZIP centre, not a reading from your yard.
Is it time for crabgrass preventer in 98542?: The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from May 1 and 55°F from May 29.

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).