Soilclock

Iowa 59°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 7 Iowa cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

Iowa cities today

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

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Des Moines 59°61° +11°−3° Apr 6 – Apr 17 Oct 25
Cedar Rapids 59°60° +14°−1° Apr 13 – Apr 21 Oct 20
Davenport 60°61° +14°±0° Apr 10 – Apr 21 Oct 21
Sioux City 58°59° +13°+3° Apr 10 – Apr 20 Oct 19
Iowa City 59°60° +13°−1° Apr 10 – Apr 19 Oct 21
Waterloo 59°59° +14°±0° Apr 13 – Apr 26 Oct 19
Ames 58°59° +13°−2° Apr 10 – Apr 21 Oct 21

When to apply pre-emergent in Iowa

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across Iowa that has typically happened first in Des Moines, around Apr 6, and last in Waterloo, 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 Iowa

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 Iowa 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