What to do in Grand Rapids now
Grand Rapids is in cool-season grass country. Dates are typical for this spot, worked out from 23 years of weather at Grand Rapids Gerald R Ford Intl Ap; each status uses this year's soil estimates.
Cool-season: tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Apr 17 Typical: Apr 17 – Apr 302-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Apr 17, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Apr 17 – Apr 30, 2027.
- Seed or overseed Seed now · last days Typical: Sep 9 – Oct 18The window usually closes by Oct 18, but this fall has kept 4-inch soil at 59°. Seed only if you can keep it moist, and expect slower germination as soil cools.
- Late-fall feeding Final feeding due now Typical: Oct 28 – Nov 25Not too late. Feed on your normal fall schedule; the last feeding of the year goes down when 4-inch soil falls to about 50°F (typically Oct 28) and before it reaches 40°F (typically Nov 25).
Warm-season: bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Apr 17 Typical: Apr 17 – Apr 302-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Apr 17, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Apr 17 – Apr 30, 2027.
- Seed or sod Wait for late spring Typical: May 28 – Sep 9Warm-season seed needs 4-inch soil at 65°F or more, and seedlings need the rest of summer to establish. Next window opens about May 28.
- Fall pre-emergent (Poa annua) Germinating since Sep 14 Typical: By Sep 44-inch soil fell below 70°F on Sep 14, when annual bluegrass begins to sprout. A pre-emergent now only stops later flushes; plan to apply by about Sep 4 next year.
- Dormancy and last feeding Any day now Typical: Around Oct 18Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Oct 18. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
The last 60 days and the week ahead
Grand Rapids soil is 13° warmer than normal for Nov 3, warmer than on 99% of those dates since 2005, and 13° warmer than a year ago.
The green line is our estimate of the daily average soil temperature 2 inches down, driven by temperatures at Grand Rapids Gerald R Ford Intl Ap, 13.9 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 | 53° | 55° | 69° / 39° | 51° |
| Oct 22 | 53° | 55° | 70° / 39° | 51° |
| Oct 23 | 54° | 56° | 67° / 44° | 50° |
| Oct 24 | 54° | 56° | 67° / 42° | 50° |
| Oct 25 | 55° | 56° | 70° / 42° | 49° |
| Oct 26 | 54° | 56° | 63° / 44° | 49° |
| Oct 27 | 54° | 56° | 63° / 45° | 48° |
| Oct 28 | 56° | 57° | 72° / 48° | 48° |
| Oct 29 | 57° | 58° | 67° / 50° | 47° |
| Oct 30 | 54° | 55° | 55° / 38° | 47° |
| Oct 31 | 53° | 55° | 62° / 41° | 46° |
| Nov 1 | 54° | 55° | 67° / 47° | 46° |
| Nov 2 | 55° | 56° | 63° / 50° | 46° |
| Nov 3 | 58° | 59° | 76° / 58° | 46° |
| Nov 4 (forecast) | 59° | 59° | 70° / 49° | 46° |
| Nov 5 (forecast) | 55° | 57° | 55° / 41° | 46° |
| Nov 6 (forecast) | 51° | 54° | 50° / 35° | 46° |
| Nov 7 (forecast) | 49° | 52° | 51° / 34° | 46° |
| Nov 8 (forecast) | 48° | 50° | 55° / 36° | 46° |
| Nov 9 (forecast) | 48° | 50° | 59° / 41° | 45° |
| Nov 10 (forecast) | 48° | 50° | 61° / 38° | 45° |
Which grass grows in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids winters are cold enough (January averages 25°F) that cool-season grasses, mostly Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, make up most lawns. They grow in spring and fall and slow down in summer heat.
Grand Rapids 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 | 32° | 34° | 25° |
| Feb | 33° | 34° | 27° |
| Mar | 38° | 39° | 36° |
| Apr | 47° | 49° | 48° |
| May | 59° | 60° | 59° |
| Jun | 70° | 72° | 69° |
| Jul | 75° | 76° | 73° |
| Aug | 73° | 75° | 71° |
| Sep | 66° | 68° | 64° |
| Oct | 54° | 55° | 51° |
| Nov | 41° | 43° | 40° |
| Dec | 34° | 35° | 30° |
Soil: average of our daily estimates, 2005–2025. Air: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station.
Typical lawn dates in Grand Rapids
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) | Apr 28 | May 12 |
| Crabgrass model: 250 growing degree days | Mar 28 | Mar 20 |
| Pre-emergent window opens (2-inch soil 50°F) | Apr 17 | Apr 14 |
| Crabgrass begins to sprout (2-inch soil 55°F) | Apr 30 | Apr 17 |
| Cool-season lawns start growing (4-inch soil 55°F) | Apr 27 | Apr 17 |
| Warm-season seeding opens (4-inch soil 65°F) | May 28 | May 31 |
| Cool-season seeding opens (4-inch soil under 70°F) | Sep 9 | Sep 15 |
| Cool-season seeding ends (4-inch soil under 55°F) | Oct 18 | Nov 9 |
| Warm-season grass goes dormant (4-inch under 55°F) | Oct 18 | Nov 9 |
| First fall freeze (32°F) | Oct 22 | not yet |
| Roots stop feeding (4-inch soil under 40°F) | Nov 25 | not yet |
Where these numbers come from
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 KGRR (GRAND RAPIDS GERALD R FORD INTL AP), daily data since 1963. Forecast: National Weather Service, GRR office, issued Nov 4, 2026, 7:06 AM EST. Last observed day: Nov 3, 2026.
Grand Rapids questions
What is the soil temperature in Grand Rapids today? Our estimate for Nov 3 is 58°F at 2 inches and 59°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 Grand Rapids? Apply when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F and before it holds 55°F. That has typically been Apr 17 to Apr 30 in Grand Rapids. For 2026 the window closed on Apr 17.
Is it too late to overseed in Grand Rapids? Seed now · last days. The window usually closes by Oct 18, but this fall has kept 4-inch soil at 59°. Seed only if you can keep it moist, and expect slower germination as soil cools.
Is it too late to fertilize in Grand Rapids? Final feeding due now. Not too late. Feed on your normal fall schedule; the last feeding of the year goes down when 4-inch soil falls to about 50°F (typically Oct 28) and before it reaches 40°F (typically Nov 25).
When is the last frost in Grand Rapids? The last 32°F night of spring has typically come around Apr 28, and as late as May 13 in 1 year in 10. The first fall freeze typically arrives around Oct 22.
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.