Current soil temperature: 81°F at the 2-inch depth, 0.8°F above the historical average for this date. Measured July 2, 2026 at the Watkinsville #1 SCAN station, 60 miles away. Rising 3.6°F over the last 7 days.
SOIL TEMPERATURE · 2" DEPTH · JULY 2, 2026
81°F
0.8 degrees above historical average of 80 degrees Fahrenheit▲ +0.8°F vs. historical avg (80°F)·↗ Rising 3.6°F over 7 days
A foliar iron spray darkens the lawn's color without forcing the leaf growth a nitrogen feeding would, which is exactly what summer-stressed turf needs. Iron is taken up directly through the leaves, so results show in days rather than weeks. Shallow soil temperatures are in the action band at 81°F at 2 inches at the Watkinsville #1 sensor, 60 miles from your location.
Details for Summer iron (foliar) application
Confidence
MODERATE CONFIDENCE
Additional detail
Trigger: 2-inch soil holds 70°F
Source: Watkinsville #1 station
Source: Watkinsville #1 station
Pest Watch
IN WINDOW
White-grub emergence watch
White grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles, June bugs, and similar species, and they feed on grass roots through summer. Catching the first generation in early summer, before significant root damage, makes preventive insecticide much more effective than rescue treatments. Shallow soil temperatures are in the action band at 81°F at 2 inches at the Watkinsville #1 sensor, 60 miles from your location.
Details for White-grub emergence watch
Confidence
MODERATE CONFIDENCE
Additional detail
Trigger: 2-inch soil holds 70°F
Source: Watkinsville #1 station
Source: Watkinsville #1 station
Pest Watch
IN WINDOW
Fall armyworm watch
Fall armyworms can strip a healthy lawn down to brown stems in days once the caterpillars are large enough to feed actively. Migration patterns make outbreaks unpredictable; watching for the first signs in late summer means you can treat before the damage is done. Shallow soil temperatures are in the action band at 81°F at 2 inches at the Watkinsville #1 sensor, 60 miles from your location.
The 2-inch reading first crossed 50°F on Nov 29, when the pre-emergent window opened.
Date
2" °F
Δ 2"
4" °F
8" °F
20" °F
40" °F
Jul 2
81.1
↑ +0.1
81.3
81.5
79.0
73.6
Jul 1
81.0
↑ +0.6
81.0
81.0
78.6
73.4
Jun 30
80.4
→ 0.0
80.6
80.6
78.3
73.0
Jun 29
80.4
↑ +1.4
80.2
80.2
77.7
72.9
Jun 28
79.0
↑ +0.7
79.2
79.3
77.0
72.7
Jun 27
78.3
↑ +0.8
78.1
78.1
76.3
72.5
Jun 26
77.5
—
77.5
77.5
75.9
72.5
Soil temperature by depth
81.1°F
2 in · germination
81.3°F
4 in · root zone
81.5°F
8 in · deeper trend
79.0°F
20 in · deep soil
73.6°F
40 in · frost depth
Check the current soil temp at your location, or open the live US soil temperature mapto see today’s ground readings from 380+ USDA and NOAA stations across the country. Enter your ZIP code for live soil temperatures near you, plus planting windows, pre-emergent timing, fertilizer guidance, and disease watch alerts based on your nearest USDA monitoring station.
How Soil Temperature Drives Lawn Timing
About the Data
Readings refresh nightly from the USDA-NRCS Soil Climate Analysis Network and the NOAA US Climate Reference Network (USCRN). Readings are measured by in-ground sensors at federal monitoring stations, not estimated from weather models; see how we measure. Planting windows are derived from multi-year climatology overlaid with NOAA 1991–2020 frost normals. Recommendation cards evaluate current soil conditions against research-backed thresholds from university extension sources. Check back regularly as conditions change. The guidance updates with every new reading.
Data sources: USDA-NRCS SCAN network, NOAA USCRN, NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, and localized frost climatology via Soil Temps analytics.
Ideal conditions for cool-season grass. As of July 4, the 2-inch soil temperature is tracking the 10-year normal for this date. The fall seeding window opens around August 4, roughly 31 days out. With an average first frost of November 1 and an elevation of 770 feet, your fall seeding window timing is shaped by both soil temperature trends and frost risk. Zone 8a soils rarely stay below the 55°F pre-emergent threshold for long, so monitoring for early crabgrass flush is critical. Data comes from the USDA SCAN station at Watkinsville #1, 60 mi away.
For established lawns and gardens, the 4 inch soil temperature is a more useful reading than the surface. This 4-inch root-zone depth changes more slowly than the 2-inch surface layer, so it is a steadier signal for timing fertilizer, aeration, and weed control. The depths your nearest station reports are shown above; stations in the federal network typically report 2, 4, 8, 20, and 40 inches, while modeled estimates for areas far from a station cover fewer depths.
What soil temperature is needed to plant grass seed?
Cool-season grasses like fescue and bluegrass germinate best when soil at 2 inches stays between 50–65°F for several consecutive days. Warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia need soil temperatures of 65–70°F or higher before seeding.
How deep should I measure soil temperature?
Use 2 inches for germination decisions, since that is where seeds sit. Use the 4 inch soil temperature for established lawn and garden timing: it reads the root zone, changes more slowly than the surface, and is the depth most fertilizer, aeration, and disease guidance references. The 8 inch reading shows deeper root-zone trend. The 20 and 40 inch readings track deep soil and frost depth where federal stations report them.
What does the 4 inch soil temperature mean?
The 4 inch soil temperature shows conditions deeper in the root zone than the 2 inch germination reading. It is commonly used for established lawn, garden, and agricultural timing because it changes more slowly than the surface layer, so it is a steadier signal for fertilizer, aeration, and weed-control decisions.
What’s the difference between soil temperature and air temperature?
Soil changes temperature much more slowly than air due to thermal mass. A warm afternoon does not mean the ground is warm. Soil temperature lags air temperature by days or weeks, making it a more reliable indicator of when biological processes like germination actually begin.
When should I apply pre-emergent based on soil temperature?
Apply pre-emergent herbicide when soil at 2 inches reaches 55°F for several consecutive days. This is the threshold where crabgrass and other summer annual weeds begin germinating. Applying after this point reduces effectiveness significantly.
What is a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone?
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones divide the US into 13 zones based on average annual extreme minimum temperature. They help determine which plants and grasses can survive winter in your area. Zone numbers increase from coldest (1a) to warmest (13b).
Grass seed germination
Your soil near Atlanta, GA: 81°F at 2 inches, as of July 2, 2026.
Ease off: about 0.8 inches tops off what the rain will leave short
Weekly target
1.5 in
at 81°F soil, for cool-season grass
Expected rain
0.7 in
over the next 7 days
You supply
0.8 in
in 2 deep sessions, watered 4-9 AM
The weekly target includes rainfall, so irrigation only covers the deficit. Water deeply and infrequently rather than a little every day: shallow daily watering builds shallow roots and invites disease. Rainfall is a modeled forecast estimate for this location.
The 7-day forecast near Atlanta, GA favors active disease pressure. These diseases are the ones to watch now. Based on a modeled weather estimate for this location.
7 of the next 7 nights stay above 68°F with hot days; worse with excess nitrogen. Water only 4-8 AM so blades dry by evening, ease off quick-release nitrogen, and improve airflow.
7 of the next 7 nights stay above 65°F with hot days; worse with excess nitrogen. Water early morning to limit leaf wetness, hold nitrogen to 0.25 lb/1,000 sq ft, and fix drainage in low spots. The fastest killer, 2-3 days.
2,416GDD (base 50°F) since January 1, through July 2
81°Fcurrent soil temperature
Growing degree days measure the heat a lawn has accumulated this year: each day adds the amount its average temperature runs above 50°F, the point where cool-season growth and most pests get going. Turf managers use the running total to time crabgrass pre-emergent, annual bluegrass seedhead suppression, and grub control. Pairing it with the current soil temperature shows both the season's heat so far and what the ground is doing right now. Measured at the USCRN station Watkinsville 5 SSE.
