What to do in Tucson now
Tucson is in warm-season grass country. Dates are typical for this spot, worked out from 23 years of weather at Tucson International Airport; each status uses this year's soil estimates.
Cool-season: tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Feb 15 Typical: early Feb – Feb 152-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Feb 15, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Feb 1 – Feb 15, 2027.
- Seed or overseed Seed now · about 42 days left Typical: Nov 5 – Dec 154-inch soil is 67°, inside the 55–70°F range where tall fescue and bluegrass sprout fastest. The window typically closes around Dec 15.
- Late-fall feeding Soil rarely cools to 40°F Typical: Through winterRoots stay active through most winters here. Feed on the fall schedule your extension office gives for your grass, and avoid feeding a lawn that is dormant from drought.
Warm-season: bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Feb 15 Typical: early Feb – Feb 152-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Feb 15, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Feb 1 – Feb 15, 2027.
- Seed or sod Wait for late spring Typical: Mar 28 – Nov 5Warm-season seed needs 4-inch soil at 65°F or more, and seedlings need the rest of summer to establish. Next window opens about Mar 28.
- Fall pre-emergent (Poa annua) Germinating since Nov 3 Typical: By Oct 314-inch soil fell below 70°F on Nov 3, when annual bluegrass begins to sprout. A pre-emergent now only stops later flushes; plan to apply by about Oct 31 next year.
- Dormancy and last feeding Expected about Dec 15 Typical: Around Dec 15Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Dec 15. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
The last 60 days and the week ahead
Tucson soil is 3° cooler than normal for Nov 3, cooler than on 75% of those dates since 2005, and 7° cooler than a year ago.
The green line is our estimate of the daily average soil temperature 2 inches down, driven by temperatures at Tucson International Airport, 8.4 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 20 | 74° | 76° | 92° / 62° | 73° |
| Oct 21 | 76° | 77° | 90° / 70° | 73° |
| Oct 22 | 77° | 78° | 89° / 69° | 73° |
| Oct 23 | 75° | 76° | 79° / 62° | 72° |
| Oct 24 | 72° | 75° | 78° / 55° | 72° |
| Oct 25 | 71° | 73° | 78° / 54° | 72° |
| Oct 26 | 70° | 72° | 83° / 53° | 71° |
| Oct 27 | 70° | 72° | 85° / 55° | 71° |
| Oct 28 | 70° | 72° | 84° / 56° | 70° |
| Oct 29 | 70° | 72° | 85° / 57° | 70° |
| Oct 30 | 69° | 71° | 71° / 62° | 69° |
| Oct 31 | 68° | 70° | 71° / 61° | 69° |
| Nov 1 | 68° | 70° | 73° / 61° | 69° |
| Nov 2 | 66° | 68° | 70° / 55° | 68° |
| Nov 3 | 65° | 67° | 78° / 49° | 68° |
| Nov 4 (forecast) | 64° | 66° | 75° / 48° | 68° |
| Nov 5 (forecast) | 64° | 66° | 75° / 52° | 68° |
| Nov 6 (forecast) | 64° | 66° | 76° / 53° | 67° |
| Nov 7 (forecast) | 64° | 66° | 76° / 52° | 67° |
| Nov 8 (forecast) | 64° | 65° | 76° / 52° | 66° |
| Nov 9 (forecast) | 64° | 65° | 76° / 53° | 66° |
Which grass grows in Tucson
With mild winters (January averages 54°F), most Tucson lawns are warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass, St. Augustine, zoysia and centipede. They grow through summer and slow or go dormant in winter.
Tucson 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 | 52° | 53° | 54° |
| Feb | 55° | 57° | 56° |
| Mar | 61° | 62° | 62° |
| Apr | 69° | 70° | 68° |
| May | 77° | 79° | 77° |
| Jun | 88° | 89° | 86° |
| Jul | 91° | 93° | 88° |
| Aug | 89° | 90° | 87° |
| Sep | 85° | 86° | 83° |
| Oct | 75° | 76° | 73° |
| Nov | 63° | 65° | 62° |
| Dec | 54° | 55° | 53° |
Soil: average of our daily estimates, 2005–2025. Air: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station.
Typical lawn dates in Tucson
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) | Feb 11 | not yet |
| Crabgrass model: 250 growing degree days | Jan 12 | Jan 12 |
| Pre-emergent window opens (2-inch soil 50°F) | early Feb | Feb 1 |
| Crabgrass begins to sprout (2-inch soil 55°F) | Feb 15 | Feb 15 |
| Cool-season lawns start growing (4-inch soil 55°F) | Feb 6 | Feb 1 |
| Warm-season seeding opens (4-inch soil 65°F) | Mar 28 | Mar 1 |
| Cool-season seeding opens (4-inch soil under 70°F) | Nov 5 | Nov 3 |
| Cool-season seeding ends (4-inch soil under 55°F) (in 19 of 21 years) | Dec 15 | not yet |
| Warm-season grass goes dormant (4-inch under 55°F) (in 19 of 21 years) | Dec 15 | not yet |
| First fall freeze (32°F) (in 19 of 21 years) | Dec 8 | not yet |
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 KTUS (TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT), daily data since 1946. Forecast: National Weather Service, TWC office, issued Nov 4, 2026, 1:32 AM EST. Last observed day: Nov 3, 2026.
Tucson questions
What is the soil temperature in Tucson today? Our estimate for Nov 3 is 65°F at 2 inches and 67°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 Tucson? Apply when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F and before it holds 55°F. That has typically been early Feb to Feb 15 in Tucson. For 2026 the window closed on Feb 15.
When can I seed bermudagrass in Tucson? Wait for late spring. Warm-season seed needs 4-inch soil at 65°F or more, and seedlings need the rest of summer to establish. Next window opens about Mar 28.
Is it too late to fertilize in Tucson? Expected about Dec 15. Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Dec 15. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
When is the last frost in Tucson? The last 32°F night of spring has typically come around Feb 11, and as late as Mar 5 in 1 year in 10. The first fall freeze typically arrives around Dec 8.
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.