Growing Degree Days by State
The average growing-degree-day total across the US so far this year is 1704 GDD (base 50°F, accumulated since January 1), measured at 130 NOAA USCRN stations. Growing degree days count the heat a lawn has banked: 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. Every total here is measured, not modeled.
- Alabama2507 GDD
- Alaska92 GDD
- Arizona2895 GDD
- Arkansas2042 GDD
- California2080 GDD
- Colorado837 GDD
- Florida4035 GDD
- Georgia2843 GDD
- Idaho690 GDD
- Illinois1265 GDD
- Indiana1695 GDD
- Iowa1402 GDD
- Kansas1742 GDD
- Kentucky1788 GDD
- Louisiana3175 GDD
- Maine540 GDD
- Massachusetts1013 GDD
- Michigan567 GDD
- Minnesota642 GDD
- Mississippi2187 GDD
- Missouri1820 GDD
- Montana394 GDD
- Nebraska1232 GDD
- Nevada1324 GDD
- New Hampshire834 GDD
- New Mexico1176 GDD
- New York888 GDD
- North Carolina1730 GDD
- North Dakota664 GDD
- Ohio1246 GDD
- Oklahoma1831 GDD
- Oregon666 GDD
- Pennsylvania1084 GDD
- Rhode Island828 GDD
- South Carolina2703 GDD
- South Dakota893 GDD
- Tennessee1552 GDD
- Texas3423 GDD
- Utah881 GDD
- Virginia1783 GDD
- Washington550 GDD
- West Virginia872 GDD
- Wisconsin1015 GDD
- Wyoming460 GDD
Some states have no USCRN station, so they aren’t listed above: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, and Vermont. For current soil temperature and lawn-care timing in those areas, enter your ZIP on the homepage.
New to the metric? Read what growing degree days are and how to use them for lawn-care timing. For current soil temperature, planting windows, and lawn-care timing, browse soil temperature by state or the live national soil temperature map.