Pool season · California
Orange Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
This is the one-page view of Orange's pool year: both model windows, the estimated water-temperature curve, and today's live position on the season bar. The detailed checklists live on the opening and closing guides; this page is the calendar you check between them.
Orange, CA — 151 swim days a yearThe bar compresses Orange's whole pool year into one lane rope: gray floats for the off-season, hollow teal for the February 8–March 1 opening window, solid teal for swim weeks, hollow amber for the closing stretch that ends December 10. Wherever the today marker sits, the nearest color change is your next appointment.
The Orange pool calendar
Opening — target February 15
Target February 15; the practical window runs February 8–March 1, and the 7-day mean crosses the 61°F threshold around March 1. Cold-water starts are the cheap ones.
Closing — deadline December 10
Hold the cover until November 30, then winterize by December 10, a week ahead of the December 25 freeze normal. Late and cold beats early and warm.
Estimated water temperature by month
Monthly averages of the site's water model run on Orange's own normals — the shape of a typical year, not a forecast. The widget above shows where the current year actually sits.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60° | 60° | 61° | 64° | 67° | 70° | 74° | 77° | 77° | 74° | 68° | 61° |
The curve peaks near 78°F — comfortable-water months here usually involve a heater or a solar cover.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Ontario's pool season and Oxnard's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the California season index.
Orange pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Orange, CA?
The site model recommends opening by February 15 — about two weeks before Orange's 7-day mean temperature crosses 61°F, while the water is still too cold for algae. The step-by-step sequence is in the Orange opening guide.
When should I close my pool in Orange?
Winterize by December 10. The model holds the deadline a week ahead of Orange's NOAA 50% first-freeze date, so the plumbing is protected before the first hard night. The full sequence is in the Orange closing guide.
How long is the swim season in Orange?
Orange averages 151 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — about 45 days earlier than the California median. The California season index ranks all 147 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Orange?
An unheated pool near Orange typically peaks around 78°F in high summer and bottoms out near 59°F in winter, never quite reaching the 78°F comfort line without a heater or solar cover. The month-by-month curve above shows the whole cycle; the methodology page explains the ±5°F error bars.
Email me when Orange hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Anaheim (4.3 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.