What is the soil temperature in Ann Arbor, Michigan?

Soil temperature at 6cm in Ann Arbor, Michigan is currently 27.0°C. Too warm to seed — the soil is heat-stressed. Wait for it to cool.

Soil temperature in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Soil temperature

81°F27.0°C

at 6cm — germination depth

Cooling over the next 11 days.

Too warm to seed — the soil is heat-stressed. Wait for it to cool.

Most cool-season lawns in the northern US and Canada are bluegrass, tall fescue, or a mix of the two. We assume that, and use12.5°C as the seeding threshold.

I know what grass I have

The differences are small. Ryegrass is the quickest off the mark; bluegrass is the slowest and wants the warmest soil. Everything else sits between.

Soil temperature at 6cm for reliable germination. Sources onthe method page.
Species	Soil temp	Days
Perennial ryegrass	8°C	5–10
Red / chewings fescue	8–10°C	10–14
Tall fescuelikely yours	10–12°C	10–14
Browntop bentColonial bentgrass	10–12°C	14–21
Smooth-stalked meadow grassKentucky bluegrasslikely yours	12–13°C	14–28

Soil temperature at 6cm in Ann Arbor, Michigan is currently 27.0°C, and falling about 24.8°C over the next 11 days. That depth matters because it is where grass seed sits and where roots start working, and it lags air temperature by days — which is why a warm afternoon here tells you very little on its own.

Lawns in this area are typically Kentucky bluegrass with tall fescue, the usual mix for cool-season lawns at this latitude. That blend needs the soil to hold above 12.5°C before seed germinates reliably. Too warm to seed — the soil is heat-stressed. Wait for it to cool.

8 of the next 10 days are good mowing days. The best weekend slot right now is Monday 10am–8pm, on the basis that no rain since Friday, ground firm.

The next recommended window in Ann Arbor opens at 8pm on Tuesday 1 September, and holds while conditions stay put. Underfoot, the ground reads as firm after 38mm rain over the last week.

See the full mowing forecast for Ann Arbor

The next 10 days

Column height is how mowable the day is; the lighter band is the best stretch within it. The line is soil temperature at 6cm. It crosses the seeding threshold inside this forecast.

12.5°C — seeding

Soil at 6cm 27.0°C cooling to 0.0°C

Tuesday 1 September · 8pm–9pmConfident

8pm–9pm — heat stress — 26°C

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryno rain since Monday
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm38mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.61
Marginal:Temperature: Heat stress26°C
Good:Wind: Wind light7 km/h
Sociable hours: Your neighbours will remember it

Limiting factor:temperature

Wednesday 2 September · 8am–11amConfident

8am–11am — no rain since Monday, ground firm

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryno rain since Monday
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm38mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing steadilygrowth potential 0.40
Poor:Temperature: Temperature22°C
Good:Wind: Wind light11 km/h
Sociable hours: A bit early or late, but finestarts at first light

Limiting factor:none

Thursday 3 September · midday–1pmConfident

midday–1pm — heat stress — 27°C

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryrain earlier today
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm8mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.55
Poor:Temperature: Temperature22°C
Good:Wind: Wind light5 km/h
Sociable hours: Fine by the neighboursstarts once the dew has burnt off

Limiting factor:temperature

Friday 4 September · 8am–9amConfident

8am–9am — rain earlier today, ground firm

Marginal:Grass wetness: Grass dryrain earlier today
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm11mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.85
Good:Temperature: Temperature21°C
Good:Wind: Wind light10 km/h
Sociable hours: A bit early or late, but finestarts at first light

Limiting factor:none

Saturday 5 September · 8am–9pmReasonably confident

8am–9pm — rain earlier today, ground firm

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryrain earlier today
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm20mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.98
Marginal:Temperature: Temperature16°C
Good:Wind: Wind light8 km/h
Sociable hours: A bit early or late, but finestarts at first light

Limiting factor:none

Sunday 6 September · 10am–9pmReasonably confident

10am–9pm — no rain since Friday, ground firm

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryno rain since Friday
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm20mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.97
Good:Temperature: Temperature15°C
Good:Wind: Wind light7 km/h
Sociable hours: Fine by the neighboursstarts once the dew has burnt off

Limiting factor:none

Monday 7 September · 10am–8pmReasonably confident

10am–8pm — no rain since Friday, ground firm

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryno rain since Friday
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm12mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.98
Marginal:Temperature: Temperature16°C
Good:Wind: Wind light7 km/h
Sociable hours: Fine by the neighboursstarts when it stops being antisocial

Limiting factor:none

Tuesday 8 September · 8am–8pmReasonably confident

8am–8pm — no rain since Friday, ground firm

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryno rain since Friday
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm12mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.90
Marginal:Temperature: Temperature18°C
Good:Wind: Wind light10 km/h
Sociable hours: A bit early or late, but finestarts at first light

Limiting factor:none

Wednesday 9 SeptemberLow confidence this far out

No — ground frozen.

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryno rain since Friday
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm12mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.97
Good:Temperature: Temperature17°C
Good:Wind: Wind light11 km/h

Limiting factor:none

Thursday 10 SeptemberLow confidence this far out

No — ground frozen.

Good:Grass wetness: Grass dryrain earlier today
Good:Ground firmness: Ground firm12mm rain over the last week
Good:Growth: Growing wellgrowth potential 0.94
Good:Temperature: Temperature18°C
Good:Wind: Wind light24 km/h

Limiting factor:none

Nearby

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