Soilclock

Arkansas 68°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 5 Arkansas cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

Arkansas cities today

Estimated daily average soil temperature at 2 inches, the difference from normal for the date, and the change over the last week. Arkansas spans the transition zone, where both cool- and warm-season lawns grow.

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Little Rock 68°69° +10°+3° Feb 16 – Mar 14 Nov 19
Fayetteville 64°65° +11°+2° Mar 6 – Apr 4 Nov 1
Fort Smith 68°69° +10°+1° Feb 22 – Mar 13 Nov 17
Jonesboro 66°67° +11°+4° Mar 2 – Mar 26 Nov 7
Conway 68°69° +10°+1° Feb 18 – Mar 13 Nov 20

When to apply pre-emergent in Arkansas

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across Arkansas that has typically happened first in Little Rock, around Feb 16, and last in Fayetteville, around Mar 6. The window closes when soil holds 55°F and crabgrass starts sprouting.

A low mat of bermudagrass with fine blades and seed heads
Bermudagrass, the warm-season grass behind most lawns from the Carolinas to Texas.

Last good week to seed in Arkansas

Tall fescue and bluegrass seed sprouts best while 4-inch soil is between 55 and 70°F. The typical last day above 55°F:

What grows in Arkansas lawns

Crabgrass is the weed spring pre-emergents are timed for. Lawns here are mostly a mix of tall fescue, bermudagrass and zoysia.

Large crabgrass with its spreading finger-like seed heads
Large crabgrass in seed. Each plant can drop thousands of seeds that wait for warm spring soil.
Close view of a Kentucky bluegrass lawn
Kentucky bluegrass, the most common cool-season lawn grass in the northern US.
A low mat of bermudagrass with fine blades and seed heads
Bermudagrass, the warm-season grass behind most lawns from the Carolinas to Texas.

Other states