Updated daily

Wisconsin soil temperature

—

Estimated 2–4 inch soil temperature, statewide average . Based on NOAA weather stations near representative Wisconsin locations.

Check your exact ZIP

Enter your ZIP code for the estimated soil temperature near you, plus what it means for seasonal pre-emergent timing. Use the separate tools below for other lawn tasks.

What this soil temperature means for your Wisconsin lawn

The Wisconsin reading loads from the latest daily data. Use the value above or enter your ZIP code for a location-specific recommendation.

Estimated soil temperature at Wisconsin locations

ZIP code Est. soil temp Data through
53201 — Loading…
53701 — Loading…
54301 — Loading…
54601 — Loading…

Values load from each ZIP's nearest NOAA station in the current R2 snapshot. Enter your own ZIP above for a reading closer to home.

Cooler by the Lake: Wisconsin's Shoreline Lag

The phrase "cooler by the lake" is a soil temperature statement. Lake Michigan stays cold deep into spring, and lawns in Milwaukee, Racine, and Sheboygan within a few miles of the shore warm noticeably behind inland lawns at the same latitude. Madison, sitting inland among smaller lakes, typically crosses the key spring thresholds several days before the Milwaukee lakefront.

The pattern flips in autumn, when the still-warm lake delays the soil cool-down along the shore. If you watch soil temperature in Wisconsin today through the seasons, expect the lakeshore ZIPs to trail in April and May and to hold warmth longest in October, stretching the fall lawn season for coastal homeowners.

The Central Sands Warm Fast, the Northwoods Warm Late

Soil texture splits Wisconsin as sharply as latitude. The Central Sands region around Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids sits on sandy outwash that drains quickly and warms quickly, often running ahead of heavier silt-loam soils farther south despite the more northern location. It is the same reason the region grows potatoes and vegetables: workable, warm soil comes early.

The Northwoods is the opposite story. North of Highway 8, persistent snowpack and forest shade keep soil cold well into May, and lawn-depth readings in Rhinelander or Hayward can trail Madison by three weeks. Wisconsin spans zones 3b to 5b, and the spring soil warm-up sweeps south to north across the state over nearly a month.

Timing the Wisconsin Lawn Year by Soil Temperature

For the Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue lawns that dominate Wisconsin, the soil calendar is compact. Southern Wisconsin soil typically holds 55°F at 2-4 inches by late April or early May, which sets the crabgrass pre-emergent deadline; the north gets there by mid-to-late May. Summer soil peaks in the low-to-mid 70s, and the prime seeding window opens when soil starts back down in mid-August.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension recommends keying lawn and garden tasks to soil readings because Wisconsin springs are notoriously streaky, with warm surges and hard frosts trading places through April. Garden timing rides the same numbers: peas at 45°F, sweet corn at 50°F, and tomatoes once soil holds 60°F, usually late May in the south and early June up north.

How Wisconsin compares to the rest of the country

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Estimated 2–4 inch soil temperature by state . Tap a state for its detailed page.

About Wisconsin lawns

Wisconsin is in USDA Hardiness Zones 3b-5b, with a cool-season lawn climate. Common grass types include Kentucky Bluegrass, Fine Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass.

These estimates are modeled from air temperature (about ±5°F at 2–4 inch depth — methodology). For local agronomic guidance, see the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.

Common Wisconsin soil temperature questions

What is the current soil temperature in Wisconsin?

This page shows a statewide estimated 2–4 inch soil temperature for Wisconsin, recomputed daily from NOAA weather station records, plus per-ZIP estimates for representative Wisconsin locations. Enter your ZIP code for the reading nearest you.

At what soil temperature should I apply pre-emergent in Wisconsin?

Apply pre-emergent when Wisconsin soil temperatures approach 55°F at a 2–4 inch depth in spring — crabgrass germinates as soil holds 55°F and above. In Wisconsin that typically happens late april to mid-may.

What soil temperature does grass seed need in Wisconsin?

Soil temperature alone does not set a seeding date. Seeding timing for common Wisconsin lawns (Kentucky Bluegrass, Fine Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass) follows published regional calendars for each grass type; the overseeding tool shows any calendar available for your ZIP, with this estimate as context.

How accurate is this Wisconsin soil temperature estimate?

It is modeled from air temperatures with a published lag model, not measured by in-ground sensors, and is typically within about ±5°F at 2–4 inch depth. Shade, moisture, and snow cover shift real readings; for precise numbers use a soil thermometer or University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension resources.

Why does soil near Lake Michigan warm slower than in Madison?

Lake Michigan holds water temperatures in the 40s well into May, and east or northeast winds carry that cold air over shoreline neighborhoods. The chilled air limits daytime soil heating, so Milwaukee lakefront lawns typically cross 55°F several days to a week after Madison, even though the two cities sit at nearly the same latitude.

When does soil thaw in northern Wisconsin?

Lawn-depth soil in the Northwoods generally thaws in April as the snowpack disappears, but it stays cold afterward: readings often hold in the 40s until mid-May. A sustained 55°F usually arrives between mid-May and late May north of Highway 8, roughly three weeks behind Madison and the southern tier.

Do sandy soils in central Wisconsin really warm up earlier?

Yes. Sand holds less water than silt or clay, and drier soil takes much less energy to heat, so the Central Sands around Stevens Point warm faster than heavier soils to the south. In dry springs the difference can approach a week. The trade-off is that sandy soil also cools faster on cold nights and swings more day to day.

Soil temperature in nearby states

AlaskaConnecticutDelawareIllinoisIndiana

View the national soil temperature map