What to do in Newark now
Newark is in cool-season grass country. Dates are typical for this spot, worked out from 23 years of weather at Newark Liberty 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 5 Typical: Apr 4 – Apr 182-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Apr 5, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Apr 4 – Apr 18, 2027.
- Seed or overseed Seed now · about 2 days left Typical: Sep 24 – Nov 54-inch soil is 57°, inside the 55–70°F range where tall fescue and bluegrass sprout fastest. The window typically closes around Nov 5.
- Late-fall feeding Final feeding from about Nov 15 Typical: Nov 15 – Dec 9Not 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 Nov 15) and before it reaches 40°F (typically Dec 9).
Warm-season: bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Apr 5 Typical: Apr 4 – Apr 182-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Apr 5, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Apr 4 – Apr 18, 2027.
- Seed or sod Wait for late spring Typical: May 17 – Sep 24Warm-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 17.
- Fall pre-emergent (Poa annua) Germinating since Sep 25 Typical: By Sep 244-inch soil fell below 70°F on Sep 25, when annual bluegrass begins to sprout. A pre-emergent now only stops later flushes; plan to apply by about Sep 24 next year.
- Dormancy and last feeding Expected about Nov 5 Typical: Around Nov 5Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Nov 5. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
The last 60 days and the week ahead
Newark soil is 3° warmer than normal for Nov 3, warmer than on 76% of those dates since 2005, and 3° warmer than a year ago.
The green line is our estimate of the daily average soil temperature 2 inches down, driven by temperatures at Newark Liberty Intl Ap, 4.6 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 14 | 66° | 66° | 80° / 64° | 61° |
| Oct 15 | 64° | 65° | 66° / 54° | 60° |
| Oct 16 | 65° | 66° | 75° / 60° | 60° |
| Oct 17 | 61° | 63° | 61° / 43° | 59° |
| Oct 18 | 58° | 60° | 60° / 38° | 59° |
| Oct 19 | 56° | 59° | 66° / 41° | 59° |
| Oct 20 | 57° | 59° | 70° / 45° | 58° |
| Oct 21 | 57° | 59° | 65° / 48° | 58° |
| Oct 22 | 57° | 59° | 69° / 48° | 58° |
| Oct 23 | 56° | 58° | 62° / 46° | 58° |
| Oct 24 | 55° | 57° | 64° / 39° | 57° |
| Oct 25 | 54° | 57° | 69° / 38° | 57° |
| Oct 26 | 55° | 57° | 73° / 40° | 56° |
| Oct 27 | 55° | 57° | 64° / 46° | 56° |
| Oct 28 | 54° | 56° | 63° / 43° | 55° |
| Oct 29 | 56° | 57° | 69° / 49° | 55° |
| Oct 30 | 58° | 59° | 74° / 52° | 55° |
| Oct 31 | 57° | 58° | 61° / 47° | 54° |
| Nov 1 | 55° | 57° | 62° / 40° | 54° |
| Nov 2 | 55° | 57° | 69° / 43° | 53° |
| Nov 3 | 56° | 57° | 72° / 46° | 53° |
Which grass grows in Newark
Newark winters are cold enough (January averages 33°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.
Newark 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 | 36° | 37° | 33° |
| Feb | 37° | 38° | 35° |
| Mar | 43° | 44° | 43° |
| Apr | 54° | 55° | 53° |
| May | 64° | 65° | 63° |
| Jun | 74° | 76° | 73° |
| Jul | 81° | 83° | 78° |
| Aug | 79° | 81° | 76° |
| Sep | 72° | 74° | 69° |
| Oct | 60° | 62° | 58° |
| Nov | 48° | 50° | 47° |
| Dec | 39° | 41° | 38° |
Soil: average of our daily estimates, 2005–2025. Air: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station.
Typical lawn dates in Newark
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 30 | Apr 8 |
| Crabgrass model: 250 growing degree days | Feb 23 | Mar 8 |
| Pre-emergent window opens (2-inch soil 50°F) | Apr 4 | Mar 12 |
| Crabgrass begins to sprout (2-inch soil 55°F) | Apr 18 | Apr 5 |
| Cool-season lawns start growing (4-inch soil 55°F) | Apr 15 | Apr 5 |
| Warm-season seeding opens (4-inch soil 65°F) | May 17 | May 19 |
| Cool-season seeding opens (4-inch soil under 70°F) | Sep 24 | Sep 26 |
| Cool-season seeding ends (4-inch soil under 55°F) | Nov 5 | not yet |
| Warm-season grass goes dormant (4-inch under 55°F) | Nov 5 | not yet |
| First fall freeze (32°F) | Nov 10 | not yet |
| Roots stop feeding (4-inch soil under 40°F) (in 17 of 21 years) | Dec 9 | 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 KEWR (NEWARK LIBERTY INTL AP), daily data since 1843. Forecast: National Weather Service, OKX office. Last observed day: Nov 3, 2026.
Newark questions
What is the soil temperature in Newark today? Our estimate for Nov 3 is 56°F at 2 inches and 57°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 Newark? Apply when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F and before it holds 55°F. That has typically been Apr 4 to Apr 18 in Newark. For 2026 the window closed on Apr 5.
Is it too late to overseed in Newark? Seed now · about 2 days left. 4-inch soil is 57°, inside the 55–70°F range where tall fescue and bluegrass sprout fastest. The window typically closes around Nov 5.
Is it too late to fertilize in Newark? Final feeding from about Nov 15. 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 Nov 15) and before it reaches 40°F (typically Dec 9).
When is the last frost in Newark? The last 32°F night of spring has typically come around Mar 30, and as late as Apr 11 in 1 year in 10. The first fall freeze typically arrives around Nov 10.
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.