Soilclock

Indiana 61°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 8 Indiana cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

Indiana cities today

Estimated daily average soil temperature at 2 inches, the difference from normal for the date, and the change over the last week. Indiana spans cool-season grass country.

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Indianapolis city 62°63° +13°+3° Mar 31 – Apr 12 Oct 28
Fort Wayne 59°59° +12°+3° Apr 11 – Apr 23 Oct 22
Evansville 63°64° +11°+3° Mar 14 – Apr 6 Nov 1
South Bend 59°59° +12°+3° Apr 13 – Apr 22 Oct 21
Bloomington 61°62° +12°+4° Mar 26 – Apr 11 Oct 25
Lafayette 63°63° +14°+5° Mar 30 – Apr 17 Oct 23
Gary 59°60° +12°+3° Apr 12 – Apr 22 Oct 22
Muncie 61°62° +12°+4° Apr 3 – Apr 15 Oct 25

When to apply pre-emergent in Indiana

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across Indiana that has typically happened first in Evansville, around Mar 14, and last in South Bend, around Apr 13. The window closes when soil holds 55°F and crabgrass starts sprouting.

Close view of a Kentucky bluegrass lawn
Kentucky bluegrass, the most common cool-season lawn grass in the northern US.

Last good week to seed in Indiana

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 Indiana lawns

Crabgrass is the weed spring pre-emergents are timed for. Lawns here are mostly cool-season grasses such as bluegrass and fescue.

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