Soil Temperature Lookup
Enter a U.S. ZIP code to locate the nearest USDA-NRCS SCAN station and retrieve recent soil temperature readings.
Daily soil temperature readings let gardeners, farmers, and turf managers gauge when to plant with confidence. Soil Temps pairs USDA-NRCS SCAN station data with climate analytics so you can translate raw numbers into local planting windows and frost risk cues before committing seed, sod, or fertilizer.
Understanding Daily Soil Temperatures
Soil temperatures shift more slowly than air readings, so the trend line in the Daily Soil Temperature chart is your best indicator of root zone conditions. When the 4-inch depth climbs above germination thresholds for three to five consecutive days, seeds activate evenly and disease pressure drops. Track how each depth responds to warm spells, note the overnight lows, and compare them with the planting window guidanceabove to decide whether to hold off or go ahead with seeding, overseeding, or fertilizer applications.
Putting Soil Temps Data to Work
We refresh readings nightly from the USDA-NRCS Soil Climate Analysis Networkand overlay NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals to show how current values compare with typical frost risk. Watch for rapid cooling trends after cold fronts, use the planting window summaries to plan seed deliveries, and reference the station metadata to confirm elevation and distance from your fields or lawns. Returning often keeps your decisions in sync with the latest data, especially when freeze warnings are in the outlook.
Data sources: USDA-NRCS SCAN network, NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, and localized frost climatology via Soil Temps analytics.