What to do in Yonkers now
Yonkers is in cool-season grass country. Dates are typical for this spot, worked out from 23 years of weather at Laguardia Airport; each status uses this year's soil estimates.
Cool-season: tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Apr 16 Typical: Apr 1 – Apr 212-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Apr 16, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Apr 1 – Apr 21, 2027.
- Seed or overseed Seed now · about 4 days left Typical: Oct 2 – Nov 74-inch soil is 60°, inside the 55–70°F range where tall fescue and bluegrass sprout fastest. The window typically closes around Nov 7.
- Late-fall feeding Final feeding from about Nov 22 Typical: Nov 22 – Dec 12Not 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 22) and before it reaches 40°F (typically Dec 12).
Warm-season: bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Apr 16 Typical: Apr 1 – Apr 212-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Apr 16, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Apr 1 – Apr 21, 2027.
- Seed or sod Wait for late spring Typical: May 18 – Oct 2Warm-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 18.
- Fall pre-emergent (Poa annua) Germinating since Sep 26 Typical: By Oct 14-inch soil fell below 70°F on Sep 26, when annual bluegrass begins to sprout. A pre-emergent now only stops later flushes; plan to apply by about Oct 1 next year.
- Dormancy and last feeding Expected about Nov 7 Typical: Around Nov 7Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Nov 7. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
The last 60 days and the week ahead
Yonkers soil is 4° warmer than normal for Nov 3, warmer than on 82% of those dates since 2005, and 4° warmer than a year ago.
The green line is our estimate of the daily average soil temperature 2 inches down, driven by temperatures at Laguardia Airport, 18.5 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 | 67° | 68° | 80° / 66° | 62° |
| Oct 15 | 65° | 67° | 66° / 57° | 62° |
| Oct 16 | 66° | 67° | 75° / 60° | 61° |
| Oct 17 | 63° | 65° | 63° / 46° | 61° |
| Oct 18 | 59° | 62° | 60° / 43° | 60° |
| Oct 19 | 59° | 61° | 64° / 49° | 60° |
| Oct 20 | 60° | 62° | 71° / 53° | 60° |
| Oct 21 | 59° | 61° | 64° / 50° | 60° |
| Oct 22 | 59° | 61° | 68° / 51° | 59° |
| Oct 23 | 58° | 60° | 62° / 50° | 59° |
| Oct 24 | 57° | 59° | 63° / 48° | 59° |
| Oct 25 | 58° | 59° | 67° / 49° | 58° |
| Oct 26 | 59° | 60° | 72° / 52° | 58° |
| Oct 27 | 59° | 60° | 63° / 53° | 57° |
| Oct 28 | 57° | 59° | 63° / 47° | 57° |
| Oct 29 | 58° | 60° | 68° / 54° | 56° |
| Oct 30 | 59° | 61° | 70° / 54° | 56° |
| Oct 31 | 58° | 60° | 61° / 50° | 55° |
| Nov 1 | 57° | 59° | 61° / 47° | 55° |
| Nov 2 | 57° | 59° | 68° / 50° | 55° |
| Nov 3 | 58° | 60° | 70° / 52° | 54° |
Which grass grows in Yonkers
Yonkers winters are cold enough (January averages 34°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.
Yonkers 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 | 37° | 38° | 34° |
| Feb | 37° | 38° | 36° |
| Mar | 43° | 44° | 43° |
| Apr | 53° | 54° | 54° |
| May | 64° | 65° | 64° |
| Jun | 74° | 75° | 73° |
| Jul | 81° | 83° | 79° |
| Aug | 80° | 81° | 78° |
| Sep | 73° | 75° | 71° |
| Oct | 62° | 64° | 60° |
| Nov | 50° | 51° | 49° |
| Dec | 41° | 42° | 40° |
Soil: average of our daily estimates, 2005–2025. Air: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station.
Typical lawn dates in Yonkers
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 28 | Apr 8 |
| Crabgrass model: 250 growing degree days | Feb 16 | Mar 8 |
| Pre-emergent window opens (2-inch soil 50°F) | Apr 1 | Mar 12 |
| Crabgrass begins to sprout (2-inch soil 55°F) | Apr 21 | Apr 16 |
| Cool-season lawns start growing (4-inch soil 55°F) | Apr 18 | Apr 6 |
| Warm-season seeding opens (4-inch soil 65°F) | May 18 | May 19 |
| Cool-season seeding opens (4-inch soil under 70°F) | Oct 2 | Sep 27 |
| Cool-season seeding ends (4-inch soil under 55°F) | Nov 7 | not yet |
| Warm-season grass goes dormant (4-inch under 55°F) | Nov 7 | not yet |
| First fall freeze (32°F) | Nov 28 | not yet |
| Roots stop feeding (4-inch soil under 40°F) (in 17 of 21 years) | Dec 12 | 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 KLGA (LAGUARDIA AIRPORT), daily data since 1939. Forecast: National Weather Service, OKX office. Last observed day: Nov 3, 2026.
Yonkers questions
What is the soil temperature in Yonkers today? Our estimate for Nov 3 is 58°F at 2 inches and 60°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 Yonkers? Apply when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F and before it holds 55°F. That has typically been Apr 1 to Apr 21 in Yonkers. For 2026 the window closed on Apr 16.
Is it too late to overseed in Yonkers? Seed now · about 4 days left. 4-inch soil is 60°, inside the 55–70°F range where tall fescue and bluegrass sprout fastest. The window typically closes around Nov 7.
Is it too late to fertilize in Yonkers? Final feeding from about Nov 22. 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 22) and before it reaches 40°F (typically Dec 12).
When is the last frost in Yonkers? The last 32°F night of spring has typically come around Mar 28, and as late as Apr 7 in 1 year in 10. The first fall freeze typically arrives around Nov 28.
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.