El Paso, TX Soil Temperature: 63°F at 2 Inches (Updated Today)

This week's plan

Beyond this week

Soil Amendment

IN WINDOW

Fall soil test

A soil test from your local extension lab measures pH, phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter for around $15-25. Doing it in fall gives you the data to plan winter lime applications and the next season's fertilizer rates without guessing. Shallow soil temperatures are in the action band at 63°F at 2 inches at the Jornada Exp Range sensor, 57 miles from your location.

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Mail-in lab test: MySoil soil test kit

Source: Jornada Exp Range station

Conditions, history, and source details

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Daily Soil Temperature

Depth: 2" • Last 12 Months

Showing chart

USDA NWCC AWDB soil temperature observations.

The 2-inch reading warmed through the 50–55°F pre-emergent window over the 3 days ending Feb 11.
Date	2" °F	Δ 2"	4" °F	8" °F	20" °F	40" °F
Oct 2	62.6	-0.9	65.8	68.5	73.2	76.3
Oct 1	63.5	+5.0	66.9	70.0	73.0	77.2
Sep 30	58.5	-2.7	63.5	65.5	73.2	78.3
Sep 29	61.2	-5.2	65.3	67.1	75.7	79.3
Sep 28	66.4	-7.0	69.6	71.8	79.0	79.5
Sep 27	73.4	+3.4	75.4	80.4	80.4	79.5
Sep 26	70.0	—	73.2	78.1	79.2	79.9

Soil temperature by depth

62.6°F

2 in · germination

65.8°F

4 in · root zone

68.5°F

8 in · deeper trend

73.2°F

20 in · deep soil

76.3°F

40 in · frost depth

Compare soil temperature by depth 4 inch soil temperature by state

Soil Conditions in El Paso, TX

USDA Growing Zone

Zone 8B

Typical First Freeze

November 20

Elevation

4,360 ft

Cool-Season Viability

Marginal

Marginal for cool-season grass. Expect significant summer stress. As of October 4, the 2-inch soil temperature is running 11°F below the 10-year normal for this date. The fall seeding window is open now. Cool-season seed should establish reliably at current soil temperatures. With an average first frost of November 20 and an elevation of 4,360 feet, your fall seeding window timing is shaped by both soil temperature trends and frost risk. Zone 8b soils rarely stay below the 55°F pre-emergent threshold for long, so monitoring for early crabgrass flush is critical. Measured in the ground at the Jornada Exp Range station (USDA SCAN #2168), 57 mi N, read 2 days ago (Oct 2, 2026).

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.

This week’s watering for El Paso, TX

Water about 1 inch this week

What makes this easier

See the weekly numbers

Weekly target	1 in	at 63°F soil, for warm-season grass
Expected rain	0 in	over the next 7 days
You supply	1 in	in 1 deep session, 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.

How to water by soil temperature, and audit your sprinklers →

Soil moisture near El Paso, TX

The 2-inch soil is at 9% volumetric water content.

This week's watering plan already accounts for recent and forecast rain, so the reading is shown plainly here to avoid a mixed message.

Measured in the ground · Jornada Exp Range (USDA SCAN #2168), 57 mi N · read 2 days ago (Oct 2, 2026) · updates nightly with about a 1-day sensor lag

See the baseline

The wetter-or-drier comparison uses this station’s own readings within about two weeks of today’s date, pooled across 4 years (124 readings). Frozen-soil days are left out. Baseline last computed July 19.

Soil moisture across Texas →

See the national soil moisture map →

Lawn disease risk

The 7-day forecast near El Paso, TX favors active disease pressure. These diseases are the ones to watch now. Based on a modeled weather estimate for this location.

See the diseases and why

Disease	Risk	Why now
Dollar spot (Clarireedia jacksonii)	Favorable	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.
Rust (Puccinia spp.)	Favorable	7 of the next 7 days sit in its 65-85°F window; worse on underfed turf. Feed adequately and irrigate early so foliage dries fast; adequate nitrogen lets turf outgrow rust's slow cycle.

How temperature drives lawn disease, and the cultural fixes →

Growing degree days near El Paso, TX

3,060GDD (base 50°F) since January 1, through October 1

63°Fcurrent soil temperature

What GDD means and how to use it

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 Las Cruces 20 N.

What growing degree days are and how to use them for lawn-care timing →

Compare accumulations on the national growing degree day tracker →

Nearby Soil Temperature Data

Fort Bliss, TX Las Cruces, NM Deming, NM Alamogordo, NM Ruidoso, NM Silver City, NM Carlsbad, NM Artesia, NM

See soil temperatures across Texas →

Soil temperature readings on this page cover 138 ZIP codes in El Paso, TX:

79901, 79902, 79903, 79904, 79905, 79906, 79907, 79908, 79910, 79911, 79912, 79913, 79914, 79915, 79917, 79920, 79922, 79923, 79924, 79925, 79926, 79927, 79928, 79929, 79930, 79931, 79932, 79934, 79935, 79936,

and 108 more

79937, 79938, 79940, 79941, 79942, 79943, 79944, 79945, 79946, 79947, 79948, 79949, 79950, 79951, 79952, 79953, 79954, 79955, 79958, 79960, 79961, 79968, 79976, 79978, 79980, 79990, 79995, 79996, 79997, 79998, 79999, 88510, 88511, 88512, 88513, 88514, 88515, 88516, 88517, 88518, 88519, 88520, 88521, 88523, 88524, 88525, 88526, 88527, 88528, 88529, 88530, 88531, 88532, 88533, 88534, 88535, 88536, 88538, 88539, 88540, 88541, 88542, 88543, 88544, 88545, 88546, 88547, 88548, 88549, 88550, 88553, 88554, 88555, 88556, 88557, 88558, 88559, 88560, 88561, 88562, 88563, 88565, 88566, 88567, 88568, 88569, 88570, 88571, 88572, 88573, 88574, 88575, 88576, 88577, 88578, 88579, 88580, 88581, 88582, 88583, 88584, 88585, 88586, 88587, 88588, 88589, 88590, 88595

See monthly soil temperature history for El Paso, TX →

Related Timing Guides

Loading soil temperature data

This week's plan

Beyond this week

See El Paso schedule

Soil Amendment

IN WINDOW

Fall soil test

Common Products in This Window

Mail-in lab test: MySoil soil test kit

Source: Jornada Exp Range station

The 2-inch reading warmed through the 50–55°F pre-emergent window over the 3 days ending Feb 11.

Date

2" °F

Δ 2"

4" °F

8" °F

20" °F

40" °F

Oct 2

62.6

-0.9

65.8

68.5

73.2

76.3

Oct 1

63.5

+5.0

66.9

70.0

73.0

77.2

Sep 30

58.5

-2.7

63.5

65.5

73.2

78.3

Sep 29

61.2

-5.2

65.3

67.1

75.7

79.3

Sep 28

66.4

-7.0

69.6

71.8

79.0

79.5

Sep 27

73.4

+3.4

75.4

80.4

79.5

Sep 26

70.0

—

73.2

78.1

79.2

79.9

Soil Conditions in El Paso, TX

USDA Growing Zone

Zone 8B

Typical First Freeze

November 20

Elevation

4,360 ft

Cool-Season Viability

Marginal

Weekly target

1 in

at 63°F soil, for warm-season grass

Expected rain

0 in

over the next 7 days

You supply

1 in

in 1 deep session, watered 4-9 AM

Disease

Risk

Why now

Dollar spot (Clarireedia jacksonii)

Favorable

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.

Rust (Puccinia spp.)

Favorable

7 of the next 7 days sit in its 65-85°F window; worse on underfed turf. Feed adequately and irrigate early so foliage dries fast; adequate nitrogen lets turf outgrow rust's slow cycle.

Soil Temperature FAQ

Is the soil warm enough to plant grass in El Paso right now?

By temperature alone, yes for cool-season grasses. The 2-inch soil temperature near El Paso, TX is currently 62.6°F, measured in the ground at the Jornada Exp Range station (USDA SCAN #2168), 57 mi N, read 2 days ago (Oct 2, 2026). That sits in the 50–65°F band where tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass germinate. Whether to seed today also depends on the season ahead; the when-to-plant page for El Paso weighs the current reading against the seasonal outlook.

Is the ground wet right now in El Paso?

The soil at 2 inches near El Paso, TX is at 9% volumetric water content, a direct ground measurement from 326 active USDA and NOAA in-ground monitoring stations. This week's watering plan already accounts for recent and forecast rain, so it is shown as a plain reading here.

Why won't my grass seed come up?

Soil temperature outside the germination band is the most common cause. The 2-inch soil temperature near El Paso, TX is currently 62.6°F, measured in the ground at the Jornada Exp Range station (USDA SCAN #2168), 57 mi N, read 2 days ago (Oct 2, 2026). Cool-season seed germinates at 50–65°F and warm-season seed at 65°F or higher; outside those bands seed sits dormant rather than sprouting. If the temperature is right, the usual culprits are seed buried too deep, topsoil that dried out during the sprout window, or a pre-emergent herbicide applied the same season, which blocks grass seed the same way it blocks weeds.

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°F or higher before seeding. If you are seeding, a high-phosphorus starter fertilizer goes down in the same window; regular established-lawn fertilizer follows different timing.

When should I apply pre-emergent based on soil temperature?

Apply pre-emergent herbicide, the product sold at retail as crabgrass preventer, 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, and applying after that point reduces effectiveness significantly. Weed-and-feed products that include a pre-emergent follow the same window. The pre-emergent timing page for El Paso tracks this threshold against the current reading.

Which grasses survive winter in El Paso?

El Paso, TX is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. Cool-season grasses (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass) are built for winters here and stay alive under frost and snow. Warm-season grasses risk winterkill in this zone: Bermuda and zoysia come through mild winters but thin or die back in hard ones.

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’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.

Is the soil temperature for El Paso, TX measured or estimated?

It is a direct ground measurement. The 2-inch soil temperature near El Paso, TX is currently 62.6°F, measured in the ground at the Jornada Exp Range station (USDA SCAN #2168), 57 mi N, read 2 days ago (Oct 2, 2026). Soil Temps reads from 326 active USDA and NOAA in-ground monitoring stations, which report daily at depths from 2 to 40 inches.

Grass species	Seeding soil temp (2 in)	Days	Right now
Bermudagrass	75–90°F	10-30	Too cold
Zoysia	75–90°F	varies	Too cold
Buffalograss	75–90°F	14-30	Too cold
Centipede	75–90°F	varies	Too cold
Kentucky bluegrass	60–70°F	14-30	Germinates well

This week's plan

Fall soil test

Full report

Daily Soil Temperature

Soil Conditions in El Paso, TX

Nearby Soil Temperature Data

Related Timing Guides

This week's plan

Fall soil test

Full report

Daily Soil Temperature

Soil Conditions in El Paso, TX

Nearby Soil Temperature Data

Related Timing Guides

How Soil Temperature Drives Lawn Timing

About the Data

Soil Temperature in El Paso, TX

Weather context

Growth stage

Soil Temperature FAQ