Soilclock

Tennessee 65°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 7 Tennessee cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

Tennessee cities today

Estimated daily average soil temperature at 2 inches, the difference from normal for the date, and the change over the last week. Tennessee spans the transition zone, where both cool- and warm-season lawns grow.

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Nashville 66°66° +10°+4° Mar 2 – Mar 15 Nov 5
Memphis 69°70° +10°+3° Feb 16 – Mar 12 Nov 19
Knoxville 61°62° +7°+3° Mar 1 – Mar 21 Nov 4
Chattanooga 64°65° +7°+4° Feb 22 – Mar 15 Nov 10
Clarksville 66°67° +13°+5° Mar 11 – Mar 28 Nov 3
Johnson City 60°60° +8°+5° Mar 15 – Apr 4 Oct 29
Jackson 65°65° +10°+6° Mar 1 – Mar 15 Nov 5

When to apply pre-emergent in Tennessee

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across Tennessee that has typically happened first in Memphis, around Feb 16, and last in Johnson City, around Mar 15. The window closes when soil holds 55°F and crabgrass starts sprouting.

A low mat of bermudagrass with fine blades and seed heads
Bermudagrass, the warm-season grass behind most lawns from the Carolinas to Texas.

Last good week to seed in Tennessee

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 Tennessee lawns

Crabgrass is the weed spring pre-emergents are timed for. Lawns here are mostly a mix of tall fescue, bermudagrass and zoysia.

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