Soilclock

Ohio 59°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 8 Ohio cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

Ohio cities today

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

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Columbus 60°61° +11°+3° Mar 30 – Apr 14 Oct 25
Cleveland 62°63° +11°+7° Apr 12 – Apr 27 Oct 31
Cincinnati 58°59° +9°+3° Mar 24 – Apr 12 Oct 27
Toledo 59°60° +12°+4° Apr 12 – Apr 26 Oct 22
Akron 58°58° +10°+6° Apr 6 – Apr 21 Oct 23
Dayton 59°60° +11°+2° Mar 30 – Apr 15 Oct 25
Canton 59°59° +11°+4° Apr 9 – Apr 23 Oct 23
Lorain 59°59° +11°+5° Apr 12 – Apr 26 Oct 22

When to apply pre-emergent in Ohio

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across Ohio that has typically happened first in Cincinnati, around Mar 24, and last in Lorain, around Apr 12. 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 Ohio

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 Ohio 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