Current soil temperature: 72°F at the 2-inch depth, 2.3°F above the historical average for this date. Measured July 3, 2026 at the UW Platteville USDA station, 60 miles away. Rising 5.9°F over the last 7 days.
SOIL TEMPERATURE · 2" DEPTH · JULY 3, 2026
72°F
2.3 degrees above historical average of 70 degrees Fahrenheit▲ +2.3°F vs. historical avg (70°F)·↗ Rising 5.9°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 72°F at 2 inches at the UW Platteville 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: UW Platteville station
Source: UW Platteville station
Daily Soil Temperature
Depth: 2" • Last 12 Months
Showing chart
Nearest USDA Station
UW Platteville (Site 2196), WI
Distance: 60 miles from Clinton, IA
Elevation: 1075 ft
Coordinates: 42.7079, -90.3899
USDA NWCC AWDB soil temperature observations.
The 2-inch reading first crossed 50°F on Apr 12, when the pre-emergent window opened.
Date
2" °F
Δ 2"
4" °F
8" °F
20" °F
40" °F
Jul 3
72.3
↑ +0.3
71.4
71.1
66.4
61.2
Jul 2
72.0
↓ -1.9
71.4
71.1
66.4
60.4
Jul 1
73.9
↑ +0.3
73.0
71.8
65.5
60.3
Jun 30
73.6
↑ +1.6
72.3
70.7
64.4
59.7
Jun 29
72.0
↑ +4.0
70.7
68.9
63.1
59.4
Jun 28
68.0
↑ +1.6
66.4
65.5
62.2
59.4
Jun 27
66.4
—
65.8
65.1
62.1
59.0
Soil temperature by depth
72.3°F
2 in · germination
71.4°F
4 in · root zone
71.1°F
8 in · deeper trend
66.4°F
20 in · deep soil
61.2°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 5, the 2-inch soil temperature is running 2°F above the 10-year normal for this date. The fall seeding window opens around August 1, roughly 27 days out. With an average first frost of October 22 and an elevation of 1,075 feet, your fall seeding window timing is shaped by both soil temperature trends and frost risk. Zone 5b winters mean the soil freezes hard enough that early-spring readings lag the air by several weeks. Data comes from the USDA station at UW Platteville, 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 Clinton, IA: 72°F at 2 inches, as of July 3, 2026.
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 Clinton, IA 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 days sit in its 60-85°F window; worse on underfed turf. Keep adequate nitrogen and remove morning dew (early mowing or dragging a hose) to shorten the wetness window.
1 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.
1,187GDD (base 50°F) since January 1, through July 3
72°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 NOAA station Shabbona 5 NNE.
