Soilclock

California 59°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 36 California cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

California cities today

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

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Los Angeles 65°66° +1°−2° No clear window –
San Diego 64°66° −1°−4° No clear window –
San Jose 59°60° −2°−2° early Feb – Feb 27 –
San Francisco 57°58° −2°−3° early Feb – Mar 17 –
Fresno 61°63° −1°−3° Feb 4 – Mar 2 –
Sacramento 55°58° −4°−5° Feb 5 – Mar 18 –
Long Beach 66°68° ±0°−3° No clear window –
Bakersfield 61°63° −1°−2° early Feb – Feb 23 –
Anaheim 62°64° −2°−4° early Feb – Feb 19 –
Stockton 57°59° −3°−3° Feb 5 – Mar 16 –
Riverside 62°64° −5°−4° No clear window –
Santa Clarita 63°65° −3°−4° No clear window –
Modesto 57°59° −3°−3° Feb 5 – Mar 9 –
Oxnard 64°66° +2°−2° No clear window –
Santa Rosa 53°55° −4°−4° Feb 6 – Mar 27 –
Oceanside 62°64° +2°−2° early Feb – Feb 22 –
Lancaster 54°56° −3°−5° Feb 20 – Mar 26 Nov 15
Salinas 58°60° −2°−2° early Feb – Mar 3 –
Visalia 59°61° ±0°−3° Feb 10 – Mar 14 –
Vallejo 53°55° −4°−4° Feb 10 – Apr 2 –
Antioch 57°59° −4°−4° Feb 4 – Mar 16 –
Santa Maria 60°62° −1°−2° early Feb – Mar 7 –
El Monte 65°67° −2°−4° No clear window –
Vacaville 54°57° −5°−6° Feb 5 – Mar 12 –
Chico 55°57° −5°−5° Feb 5 – Mar 15 –
Merced 57°59° −2°−3° Feb 11 – Mar 15 –
Indio 68°70° ±0°−3° early Feb – Feb 15 –
Redding 53°55° −5°−6° Feb 7 – Mar 15 –
Santa Barbara 63°65° +3°−1° early Feb – Feb 21 –
Livermore 56°58° −4°−3° Feb 5 – Mar 22 –
Rocklin 54°57° −5°−6° Feb 9 – Mar 16 –
Yuba City 59°61° −2°−3° Feb 7 – Mar 17 –
Madera 57°59° −2°−3° Feb 9 – Mar 15 –
Laguna Niguel 67°68° ±0°−2° No clear window –
Porterville 62°64° +1°−2° early Feb – Feb 15 –
Santa Cruz 57°59° −2°−3° early Feb – Mar 14 –

When to apply pre-emergent in California

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across California that has typically happened first in San Jose, around Feb 1, and last in Lancaster, around Feb 20. 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 California

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 California lawns

Crabgrass is the weed spring pre-emergents are timed for. Lawns here are mostly warm-season grasses such as bermuda.

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