What to do in Raleigh now
Raleigh is in the transition zone, where both cool- and warm-season lawns grow. Dates are typical for this spot, worked out from 23 years of weather at Raleigh-Durham International Airport; each status uses this year's soil estimates.
Cool-season: tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Mar 8 Typical: Feb 20 – Mar 172-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Mar 8, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Feb 20 – Mar 17, 2027.
- Seed or overseed Seed now · about 6 days left Typical: Oct 7 – Nov 94-inch soil is 62°, inside the 55–70°F range where tall fescue and bluegrass sprout fastest. The window typically closes around Nov 9.
- Late-fall feeding Soil rarely cools to 40°F Typical: Through winterRoots stay active through most winters here. Feed on the fall schedule your extension office gives for your grass, and avoid feeding a lawn that is dormant from drought.
Warm-season: bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia
- Crabgrass pre-emergent Closed Mar 8 Typical: Feb 20 – Mar 172-inch soil held 55°F for a week from Mar 8, so crabgrass was sprouting. Next window: about Feb 20 – Mar 17, 2027.
- Seed or sod Wait for late spring Typical: Apr 18 – Oct 7Warm-season seed needs 4-inch soil at 65°F or more, and seedlings need the rest of summer to establish. Next window opens about Apr 18.
- Fall pre-emergent (Poa annua) Germinating since Oct 8 Typical: By Oct 54-inch soil fell below 70°F on Oct 8, when annual bluegrass begins to sprout. A pre-emergent now only stops later flushes; plan to apply by about Oct 5 next year.
- Dormancy and last feeding Expected about Nov 9 Typical: Around Nov 9Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Nov 9. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
The last 60 days and the week ahead
Raleigh soil is 4° warmer than normal for Nov 3, warmer than on 77% of those dates since 2005, and 7° warmer than a year ago.
The green line is our estimate of the daily average soil temperature 2 inches down, driven by temperatures at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 14.4 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 | 59° | 62° | 70° / 44° | 61° |
| Oct 22 | 58° | 61° | 72° / 40° | 60° |
| Oct 23 | 58° | 60° | 70° / 41° | 60° |
| Oct 24 | 58° | 60° | 68° / 47° | 60° |
| Oct 25 | 58° | 60° | 71° / 46° | 60° |
| Oct 26 | 57° | 59° | 70° / 41° | 59° |
| Oct 27 | 57° | 59° | 76° / 41° | 59° |
| Oct 28 | 59° | 60° | 73° / 50° | 59° |
| Oct 29 | 60° | 61° | 76° / 53° | 59° |
| Oct 30 | 62° | 63° | 82° / 50° | 58° |
| Oct 31 | 61° | 62° | 66° / 51° | 58° |
| Nov 1 | 60° | 61° | 67° / 49° | 57° |
| Nov 2 | 60° | 61° | 68° / 52° | 57° |
| Nov 3 | 61° | 62° | 77° / 48° | 56° |
| Nov 4 (forecast) | 64° | 64° | 80° / 63° | 56° |
| Nov 5 (forecast) | 66° | 66° | 80° / 65° | 56° |
| Nov 6 (forecast) | 65° | 66° | 73° / 53° | 55° |
| Nov 7 (forecast) | 62° | 64° | 67° / 43° | 55° |
| Nov 8 (forecast) | 59° | 62° | 64° / 43° | 55° |
| Nov 9 (forecast) | 57° | 60° | 64° / 41° | 55° |
| Nov 10 (forecast) | 57° | 59° | 67° / 44° | 55° |
Which grass grows in Raleigh
With January averaging 42°F, Raleigh sits in the transition zone. Tall fescue is the common cool-season choice; bermudagrass and zoysia are the common warm-season ones. Use the switch above to see the calendar for yours.
Raleigh 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 | 42° | 44° | 42° |
| Feb | 45° | 46° | 45° |
| Mar | 52° | 53° | 52° |
| Apr | 61° | 63° | 61° |
| May | 70° | 71° | 69° |
| Jun | 79° | 80° | 77° |
| Jul | 83° | 84° | 81° |
| Aug | 81° | 83° | 79° |
| Sep | 75° | 77° | 73° |
| Oct | 64° | 66° | 62° |
| Nov | 52° | 54° | 52° |
| Dec | 45° | 47° | 45° |
Soil: average of our daily estimates, 2005–2025. Air: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station.
Typical lawn dates in Raleigh
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 29 | Apr 9 |
| Crabgrass model: 250 growing degree days | Jan 24 | Jan 19 |
| Pre-emergent window opens (2-inch soil 50°F) | Feb 20 | Feb 21 |
| Crabgrass begins to sprout (2-inch soil 55°F) | Mar 17 | Mar 8 |
| Cool-season lawns start growing (4-inch soil 55°F) | Mar 17 | Mar 8 |
| Warm-season seeding opens (4-inch soil 65°F) | Apr 18 | Mar 13 |
| Cool-season seeding opens (4-inch soil under 70°F) | Oct 7 | Oct 10 |
| Cool-season seeding ends (4-inch soil under 55°F) | Nov 9 | not yet |
| Warm-season grass goes dormant (4-inch under 55°F) | Nov 9 | not yet |
| First fall freeze (32°F) | Nov 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 KRDU (RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT), daily data since 1944. Forecast: National Weather Service, RAH office, issued Nov 4, 2026, 6:35 AM EST. Last observed day: Nov 3, 2026.
Raleigh questions
What is the soil temperature in Raleigh today? Our estimate for Nov 3 is 61°F at 2 inches and 62°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 Raleigh? Apply when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F and before it holds 55°F. That has typically been Feb 20 to Mar 17 in Raleigh. For 2026 the window closed on Mar 8.
When can I seed bermudagrass in Raleigh? Wait for late spring. Warm-season seed needs 4-inch soil at 65°F or more, and seedlings need the rest of summer to establish. Next window opens about Apr 18.
Is it too late to fertilize in Raleigh? Expected about Nov 9. Warm-season grass slows and browns once 4-inch soil stays under 55°F, typically Nov 9. Make the last nitrogen feeding at least a month before that.
When is the last frost in Raleigh? The last 32°F night of spring has typically come around Mar 29, and as late as Apr 17 in 1 year in 10. The first fall freeze typically arrives around Nov 9.
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.