Soilclock

Virginia 58°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 6 Virginia cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

Virginia cities today

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

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Virginia Beach 59°60° +1°+1° Feb 26 – Mar 26 Nov 15
Richmond 58°59° +3°+1° Mar 12 – Mar 28 Nov 8
Newport News 57°59° +1°+2° Mar 12 – Mar 28 Nov 9
Suffolk 59°61° ±0°±0° Feb 25 – Mar 20 Nov 20
Roanoke 57°58° +3°+2° Mar 13 – Mar 30 Nov 4
Lynchburg 55°57° +3°+2° Mar 15 – Apr 4 Nov 1

When to apply pre-emergent in Virginia

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across Virginia that has typically happened first in Suffolk, around Feb 25, and last in Lynchburg, 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 Virginia

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 Virginia 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