What to do in Athens now
Athens is in the transition zone, where both cool- and warm-season lawns grow. Dates are typical for this spot, worked out from 23 years of weather at Athens Ben Epps Ap; each status uses this year's soil estimates.
Cool-season: tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Feb 22 Typical: Feb 13 – Mar 132-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Feb 22, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Feb 13 – Mar 13, 2027.
- Seed or overseed Seed now · about 11 days left Typical: Oct 7 – Nov 144-inch soil is 64°, inside the 55–70°F range where tall fescue and bluegrass sprout fastest. The window typically closes around Nov 14.
- 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 22 Typical: Feb 13 – Mar 132-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Feb 22, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Feb 13 – Mar 13, 2027.
- Seed or sod Wait for late spring Typical: Apr 14 – Oct 7Warm-season seed needs 4-inch soil at 65°F or more, and seedlings need the rest of summer to establish. Next window opens about Apr 14.
- Fall pre-emergent (Poa annua) Germinating since Oct 19 Typical: By Oct 64-inch soil fell below 70°F on Oct 19, when annual bluegrass begins to sprout. A pre-emergent now only stops later flushes; plan to apply by about Oct 6 next year.
- Dormancy and last feeding Expected about Nov 14 Typical: Around Nov 14Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Nov 14. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
The last 60 days and the week ahead
Athens soil is 6° warmer than normal for Nov 3, warmer than on 86% of those dates since 2005, and 11° warmer than a year ago.
The green line is our estimate of the daily average soil temperature 2 inches down, driven by temperatures at Athens Ben Epps Ap, 3.9 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 21 | 60° | 63° | 76° / 42° | 62° |
| Oct 22 | 60° | 63° | 76° / 44° | 61° |
| Oct 23 | 60° | 62° | 73° / 45° | 61° |
| Oct 24 | 59° | 61° | 68° / 47° | 61° |
| Oct 25 | 59° | 61° | 71° / 48° | 60° |
| Oct 26 | 59° | 61° | 72° / 48° | 60° |
| Oct 27 | 59° | 61° | 75° / 43° | 60° |
| Oct 28 | 59° | 61° | 75° / 45° | 60° |
| Oct 29 | 62° | 63° | 77° / 56° | 59° |
| Oct 30 | 63° | 63° | 81° / 50° | 59° |
| Oct 31 | 63° | 64° | 71° / 57° | 59° |
| Nov 1 | 62° | 63° | 66° / 54° | 58° |
| Nov 2 | 62° | 63° | 71° / 55° | 58° |
| Nov 3 | 63° | 64° | 75° / 57° | 58° |
| Nov 4 (forecast) | 65° | 66° | 74° / 64° | 57° |
| Nov 5 (forecast) | 66° | 66° | 77° / 59° | 57° |
| Nov 6 (forecast) | 65° | 66° | 76° / 49° | 57° |
| Nov 7 (forecast) | 62° | 64° | 71° / 43° | 57° |
| Nov 8 (forecast) | 60° | 62° | 68° / 42° | 57° |
| Nov 9 (forecast) | 58° | 61° | 68° / 41° | 57° |
| Nov 10 (forecast) | 58° | 60° | 70° / 43° | 56° |
Which grass grows in Athens
With January averaging 44°F, Athens sits in the transition zone. Tall fescue is the common cool-season choice; bermudagrass and zoysia are the common warm-season ones. Use the switch above to see the calendar for yours.
Athens 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 | 44° | 45° | 44° |
| Feb | 47° | 48° | 48° |
| Mar | 55° | 56° | 55° |
| Apr | 63° | 64° | 62° |
| May | 71° | 72° | 71° |
| Jun | 79° | 81° | 78° |
| Jul | 83° | 84° | 81° |
| Aug | 82° | 83° | 80° |
| Sep | 76° | 78° | 74° |
| Oct | 65° | 67° | 64° |
| Nov | 54° | 55° | 53° |
| Dec | 47° | 48° | 47° |
Soil: average of our daily estimates, 2005–2025. Air: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station.
Typical lawn dates in Athens
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) | Mar 23 | Mar 19 |
| Crabgrass model: 250 growing degree days | Jan 20 | Jan 12 |
| Pre-emergent window opens (2-inch soil 50°F) | Feb 13 | Feb 19 |
| Crabgrass begins to sprout (2-inch soil 55°F) | Mar 13 | Feb 22 |
| Cool-season lawns start growing (4-inch soil 55°F) | Mar 12 | Feb 22 |
| Warm-season seeding opens (4-inch soil 65°F) | Apr 14 | Mar 12 |
| Cool-season seeding opens (4-inch soil under 70°F) | Oct 7 | Oct 20 |
| Cool-season seeding ends (4-inch soil under 55°F) | Nov 14 | not yet |
| Warm-season grass goes dormant (4-inch under 55°F) | Nov 14 | not yet |
| First fall freeze (32°F) | Nov 9 | not yet |
Checked against a real sensor
Measured nearby: 67°F at 2 inches on Nov 3, at the USDA SCAN site “Watkinsville #1”, 6 miles away.
Our estimate for Athens on Nov 3 is 63°F; the sensor read 67°F at 4 inches against our 64°F. Sensor sites sit in open, unwatered ground outside town, so they often run a few degrees apart from city lawns; use them as a check on the trend.
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 KAHN (ATHENS BEN EPPS AP), daily data since 1944. Forecast: National Weather Service, FFC office, issued Nov 4, 2026, 1:26 AM EST. Last observed day: Nov 3, 2026.
Athens questions
What is the soil temperature in Athens today? Our estimate for Nov 3 is 63°F at 2 inches and 64°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 Athens? Apply when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F and before it holds 55°F. That has typically been Feb 13 to Mar 13 in Athens. For 2026 the window closed on Feb 22.
When can I seed bermudagrass in Athens? 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 Apr 14.
Is it too late to fertilize in Athens? Expected about Nov 14. Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Nov 14. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
When is the last frost in Athens? The last 32°F night of spring has typically come around Mar 23, and as late as Apr 10 in 1 year in 10. The first fall freeze typically arrives around Nov 9.
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.