Pool season · California
Richmond Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
One bar, one year, one Richmond pool. The season bar below draws everything the model knows — opening window, prime season, closing window — against today's date, with the working details one click away on the opening and closing pages.
Richmond, CA — 0 swim days a yearThe bar compresses Richmond's whole pool year into one lane rope: gray floats for the off-season, hollow teal for the May 2–May 23 opening window, solid teal for swim weeks, hollow amber for the closing stretch that ends November 8. Wherever the today marker sits, the nearest color change is your next appointment.
The Richmond pool calendar
Opening — target May 9
Open by May 9 — a two-week head start on the May 23 crossing keeps startup chemistry small and beats the local service rush.
Closing — deadline November 8
Hold the cover until October 29, then winterize by November 8, a week ahead of the January 2 freeze normal. Late and cold beats early and warm.
Estimated water temperature by month
This is Richmond's typical-year water curve: the same EWMA model as the live widget, run on the 1991–2020 normals instead of this week's weather.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51° | 52° | 55° | 57° | 59° | 62° | 63° | 63° | 65° | 65° | 60° | 53° |
The curve peaks near 65°F — comfortable-water months here usually involve a heater or a solar cover.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Rialto's pool season and Riverside's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the California season index.
Richmond pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Richmond, CA?
Open by May 9 — the model places Richmond's 61°F crossing about two weeks later, and every warm day you wait pushes the water toward the 65°F algae zone. The Richmond opening guide has the 12-step sequence.
When should I close my pool in Richmond?
Close by November 8: cool water keeps its winter chemistry, but freeze damage is the hard stop. The Richmond closing guide sequences the work backward from that date.
How long is the swim season in Richmond?
Richmond averages 0 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — about 38 days later than the California median. The California season index ranks all 147 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Richmond?
An unheated pool near Richmond typically peaks around 65°F in high summer and bottoms out near 51°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 Richmond hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Richmond (2.9 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.