What to do in Anchorage now
Anchorage is in cool-season grass country. Dates are typical for this spot, worked out from 23 years of weather at Anchorage Merrill Field; each status uses this year's soil estimates.
Cool-season: tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Jun 5 Typical: May 18 – Jun 62-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Jun 5, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about May 18 – Jun 6, 2027.
- Seed or overseed Too late this fall Typical: Aug 10 – Sep 204-inch soil fell below 50°F on Sep 27; new seedlings rarely establish now. Seed next fall from about Aug 10, or dormant-seed once soil is near freezing so seed sprouts in spring.
- Late-fall feeding Too late · wait for spring Typical: Sep 29 – Oct 214-inch soil fell to 40°F on Oct 23; roots can no longer use much nitrogen. Next feeding: once soil holds 55°F, typically May 31.
Warm-season: bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Jun 5 Typical: May 18 – Jun 62-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Jun 5, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about May 18 – Jun 6, 2027.
- Seed or sod Wait for late spring Typical: Jul 7 – Aug 10Warm-season seed needs 4-inch soil at 65°F or more, and seedlings need the rest of summer to establish. Next window opens about Jul 7.
- Fall pre-emergent (Poa annua) Germinating since Aug 10 Typical: By Aug 104-inch soil fell below 70°F on Aug 10, when annual bluegrass begins to sprout. A pre-emergent now only stops later flushes; plan to apply by about Aug 10 next year.
- Dormancy and last feeding Dormant since about Sep 20 Typical: Around Sep 204-inch soil has stayed under 55°F since Sep 20, so warm-season grass is going brown. It is too late to fertilize; feed again after spring green-up, once soil holds 65°F (typically Jul 7).
The last 60 days and the week ahead
Anchorage soil is 2° warmer than normal for Nov 2, warmer than on 84% of those dates since 2005, and 2° warmer than a year ago.
The green line is our estimate of the daily average soil temperature 2 inches down, driven by temperatures at Anchorage Merrill Field, 31 km from the city center. The dashed part runs the National Weather Service forecast through the same model. Hover or tap for any day.
2-inch soil, estimated From the NWS forecast Normal Normal range (8 years in 10)
Show the numbers
| Date | 2-inch soil | 4-inch soil | Air high / low | Normal (2 in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13 | 42° | 44° | 42° / 34° | 41° |
| Oct 14 | 40° | 42° | 40° / 30° | 41° |
| Oct 15 | 41° | 43° | 49° / 37° | 40° |
| Oct 16 | 40° | 42° | 47° / 31° | 40° |
| Oct 17 | 41° | 42° | 45° / 36° | 39° |
| Oct 18 | 39° | 41° | 40° / 32° | 39° |
| Oct 19 | 38° | 40° | 39° / 34° | 38° |
| Oct 20 | 38° | 40° | 43° / 32° | 38° |
| Oct 21 | 37° | 39° | 38° / 31° | 38° |
| Oct 22 | 36° | 38° | 36° / 24° | 37° |
| Oct 23 | 34° | 37° | 34° / 21° | 37° |
| Oct 24 | 34° | 37° | 40° / 28° | 37° |
| Oct 25 | 36° | 37° | 43° / 36° | 36° |
| Oct 26 | 37° | 39° | 52° / 30° | 36° |
| Oct 27 | 36° | 38° | 39° / 27° | 36° |
| Oct 28 | 35° | 37° | 35° / 25° | 35° |
| Oct 29 | 37° | 38° | 50° / 34° | 35° |
| Oct 30 | 39° | 40° | 50° / 37° | 35° |
| Oct 31 | 39° | 40° | 45° / 32° | 35° |
| Nov 1 | 37° | 39° | 38° / 31° | 34° |
| Nov 2 | 36° | 38° | 39° / 28° | 34° |
Which grass grows in Anchorage
Anchorage winters are cold enough (January averages 15°F) that cool-season grasses, mostly Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, make up most lawns. They grow in spring and fall and slow down in summer heat.
Anchorage soil through the year
Weekly 2-inch estimates for 2026 so far against 2025 and the normal for each week. The red lines mark 50°F, when crabgrass pre-emergent should be down, and 65°F, when warm-season seed sprouts well.
2026 2025 Normal (2005–2025) 8 years in 10
Normal by month
| Month | 2 in | 4 in | Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32° | 33° | 15° |
| Feb | 32° | 33° | 20° |
| Mar | 33° | 34° | 26° |
| Apr | 39° | 40° | 39° |
| May | 50° | 51° | 50° |
| Jun | 59° | 60° | 58° |
| Jul | 63° | 64° | 61° |
| Aug | 60° | 62° | 59° |
| Sep | 52° | 54° | 50° |
| Oct | 40° | 42° | 36° |
| Nov | 32° | 34° | 23° |
| Dec | 31° | 33° | 18° |
Soil: average of our daily estimates, 2005–2025. Air: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station.
Typical lawn dates in Anchorage
Each date is when the soil estimate (or the air, for freezes) crossed the threshold, year by year since 2005. “Early” and “late” are the 10th and 90th percentile years, so 8 years in 10 fall between them.
| Event | Typical | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Last spring freeze (32°F) | Apr 30 | May 24 |
| Crabgrass model: 250 growing degree days | May 1 | May 10 |
| Pre-emergent window opens (2-inch soil 50°F) | May 18 | May 31 |
| Crabgrass begins to sprout (2-inch soil 55°F) | Jun 6 | Jun 5 |
| Cool-season lawns start growing (4-inch soil 55°F) | May 31 | Jun 5 |
| Warm-season seeding opens (4-inch soil 65°F) (in 15 of 21 years) | Jul 7 | not yet |
| Cool-season seeding opens (4-inch soil under 70°F) | Aug 10 | Aug 10 |
| Cool-season seeding ends (4-inch soil under 55°F) | Sep 20 | Sep 20 |
| Warm-season grass goes dormant (4-inch under 55°F) | Sep 20 | Sep 20 |
| First fall freeze (32°F) | Sep 27 | Sep 23 |
| Roots stop feeding (4-inch soil under 40°F) | Oct 21 | Oct 23 |
Where these numbers come from
There is no soil sensor in most cities, so we estimate it. Shallow soil follows air temperature with a lag of a few days, and runs a little warmer than the air in fall. We fitted that relationship to 190 USDA soil-sensor stations; on years held out of the fit, the estimate was off by 3.3°F on an average day, and it put the spring 55°F date within a median of 3 days. Read the methodology.
Weather: RCC ACIS station PAMR (ANCHORAGE MERRILL FIELD), daily data since 1916. Forecast: National Weather Service, AFC office, issued Nov 4, 2026, 6:41 AM EST. Last observed day: Nov 2, 2026.
Anchorage questions
What is the soil temperature in Anchorage today? Our estimate for Nov 2 is 36°F at 2 inches and 38°F at 4 inches, as a daily average. Early-morning soil runs a few degrees cooler than that, and afternoon soil warmer.
When should I put down crabgrass pre-emergent in Anchorage? Apply when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F and before it holds 55°F. That has typically been May 18 to Jun 6 in Anchorage. For 2026 the window closed on Jun 5.
Is it too late to overseed in Anchorage? Too late this fall. 4-inch soil fell below 50°F on Sep 27; new seedlings rarely establish now. Seed next fall from about Aug 10, or dormant-seed once soil is near freezing so seed sprouts in spring.
Is it too late to fertilize in Anchorage? Too late · wait for spring. 4-inch soil fell to 40°F on Oct 23; roots can no longer use much nitrogen. Next feeding: once soil holds 55°F, typically May 31.
When is the last frost in Anchorage? The last 32°F night of spring has typically come around Apr 30, and as late as May 11 in 1 year in 10. The first fall freeze typically arrives around Sep 27.
Why 2 inches and 4 inches? Crabgrass and most weed seeds sprout in the top inch or two, so pre-emergent timing follows 2-inch soil. Grass seed and roots respond to the slightly steadier soil at about 4 inches.
How accurate is this? It is a model, not a probe in your yard. Expect about 3–4°F of difference on a given day; shade, slope, mulch and irrigation all move real soil. The dates and trends are more reliable than any single day.