The current average 2-inch soil temperature across Utah is 73°F. Readings range from 59°F to 90°F, from 29 USDA and NOAA monitoring stations. Soil across Utah is running 2°F below the seasonal normal of 75°F for mid-August, based on 29 of 29 stations with historical records. Utah spans USDA hardiness zones 5b to 8b, cool-season grass country. Last updated August 16, 2026.
Summer conditions across Utah with soil averaging 73°F at 2 inches. Warm-season grasses are in peak growth; keep cool-season lawns mowed high and watered deep. The next application windows arrive in fall, starting with pre-emergent as soil falls back through 70°F.
Utah spans both grass families: cool-season lawns are more common toward the cooler, northern parts of the state and at elevation, warm-season lawns toward the warmer south.
For cool-season lawns (fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass), fall is the best time to plant grass seed in Utah, with spring the second choice: fall seedlings face less weed competition and mature before summer heat. The window opens as 2-inch soil falls back through 70°F, and germination slows sharply once soil drops below 50°F, typically around October 18.
Spring is the second choice: the window opens when soil first holds 50°F and narrows as soil passes 65°F, typically by June 1.
For warm-season lawns (bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine), the best time to plant grass seed in Utah is late spring into early summer, when soil is warming and a full growing season lies ahead. The window opens when 2-inch soil reaches 65°F and keeps rising, and closes as soil cools back through 65°F, typically around September 13.
| Region | Typical spring window opens | Typical fall window opens | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Utah | April 30 | August 21 | 12 |
| Central Utah | April 8 | August 26 | 12 |
| Southern Utah | April 8 | August 19 | 11 |
Fall seeding also needs a stop date: new seedlings want about six weeks of growth before frost arrives. Your city page estimates the last safe seeding date from its nearest station: see when to plant in Salt Lake City, when to plant in Ogden or when to plant in Sandy. Readings current through August 16, 2026: Utah averages 73°F at 2 inches right now; the Current Planting Conditions section above reads that number against the season.
Typical dates are computed from historical 2-inch soil temperature averages at 35 monitoring stations in Utah; your own window depends on your nearest station's readings.
Historical 2-inch soil temperature normals for Utah: the median across 35 in-state stations with multi-year records. Any given year runs ahead of or behind these values; the live average at the top of this page shows where this year stands.
| Month | Average 2-inch soil temperature |
|---|---|
| January | 31°F |
| February | 34°F |
| March | 39°F |
| April | 48°F |
| May | 58°F |
| June | 71°F |
| July | 78°F |
| August | 73°F |
| September | 65°F |
| October | 51°F |
| November | 38°F |
| December | 33°F |
Grass seed germination
Grass seed germination temperatures across Utah. Soil warmth varies by location, so check a city page for the live reading and what germinates there now.
| Grass species | Seeding soil temp (2 in) | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky bluegrass | 50–65°F | 14-30 |
| Tall fescue | 50–65°F | 7-12 |
| Perennial ryegrass | 50–65°F | 5-10 |
| Fine fescue | 50–65°F | 7-14 |
| Bermudagrass | 75–90°F | 10-30 |
For root-zone timing (fertilizer, aeration, weed control), see the 4-inch soil temperature for Utah. For accumulated-heat timing, see growing degree days for Utah. For how wet the ground is versus normal, see soil moisture for Utah. See the Utah soil temperature map for the full station view.
Interpolated from the latest 4-inch readings and refreshed daily.
| Station | 2" Temp | Last Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Circleville (Piute) | 69°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Ephraim (Sanpete) | 71°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Holden (Millard) | 74°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Eastland (San Juan) | 73°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Green River (Emery) | 82°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Price (Carbon) | 80°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Morgan (Morgan) | 68°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Mountain Home (Duchesne) | — | 2026-08-16 |
| Cache Junction (Cache) | 73°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Nephi (Juab) | 69°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Alkali Mesa (San Juan) | 77°F | 2026-08-16 |
| West Summit (San Juan) | 71°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Chicken Ridge (Morgan) | 60°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Buffalo Jump (Rich) | 65°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Grantsville (Tooele) | 78°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Park Valley (Box Elder) | 73°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Split Mountain (Uintah) | 76°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Little Red Fox (Duchesne) | 68°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Manderfield (Beaver) | 73°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Panguitch (Garfield) | 59°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Spooky (Kane) | 90°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Sand Hollow (Washington) | 82°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Grouse Creek (Box Elder) | 71°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Vermillion (Kane) | 69°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Tule Valley (Millard) | 85°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Hals Canyon (Millard) | 75°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Goshute (Tooele) | 70°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Harms Way (San Juan) | 73°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Dugway (Tooele) | 74°F | 2026-08-16 |
| Brigham City 28 WNW | 76°F | 2026-08-16 |
Current 2-inch readings grouped along Utah's north-to-south axis. Regional spread matters for timing: the warm end of the state can open an application window a week or more before the cool end.
| Region | Avg 2" Temp | Range | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Utah (Box Elder, Cache, Duchesne, Morgan, Rich, Tooele, Uintah Counties) | 71°F | 60–78°F | 10 |
| Central Utah (Beaver, Carbon, Emery, Juab, Millard, Sanpete, Tooele Counties) | 75°F | 69–85°F | 10 |
| Southern Utah (Garfield, Kane, Piute, San Juan, Washington Counties) | 74°F | 59–90°F | 9 |
| City | ZIP | Current Temp |
|---|---|---|
| Bountiful | 84010 | 68°F |
| Cedar City | 84720 | 59°F |
| Clearfield | 84015 | 68°F |
| Layton | 84040 | 68°F |
| Logan | 84321 | 73°F |
| Ogden | 84201 | 68°F |
| Orem | 84057 | 78°F |
| Park City | 84060 | 68°F |
| Provo | 84601 | 69°F |
| Saint George | 84770 | 82°F |
| Salt Lake City | 84101 | 68°F |
| Sandy | 84070 | 78°F |
| South Jordan | 84009 | 78°F |
| Vernal | 84078 | 76°F |
| West Jordan | 84081 | 78°F |
| West Valley City | — | 78°F |
Fall is the best time to overseed a thin lawn.
Core aeration relieves compaction, but timing decides whether the lawn recovers in a week or struggles for a month.
Brown patch and Pythium strike when humid nights hold above 68°F on lush, over-fertilized turf; dollar spot, red thread, and rust hit slow-growing lawns at 60-85°F.
Spring broadleaf timing for St.
The current average 2-inch soil temperature across Utah is 73°F. Readings range from 59°F to 90°F depending on location and elevation, from 29 USDA and NOAA monitoring stations. Soil across Utah is running 2°F below the seasonal normal of 75°F for mid-August, based on 29 of 29 stations with historical records.
Apply pre-emergent herbicide when soil at 2 inches reaches 55°F for several consecutive days. Timing varies across Utah, so check your city's page for station-specific readings and the pre-emergent timing recommendation.
Utah spans USDA hardiness zones 5b to 8b, cool-season grass country. For cool-season grasses (fescue, bluegrass), the fall window typically opens around August 22 and the spring window around April 21; for warm-season grasses (bermuda, zoysia), the window typically opens around June 1, based on historical 2-inch soil temperature averages at 35 in-state stations. Timing varies by location, so check your city's planting window for the dates specific to your area.