Pool season · Georgia
Columbus Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
This is the one-page view of Columbus'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.
Columbus, GA — 162 swim days a yearThe bar compresses Columbus's whole pool year into one lane rope: gray floats for the off-season, hollow teal for the March 18–April 8 opening window, solid teal for swim weeks, hollow amber for the closing stretch that ends November 4. Wherever the today marker sits, the nearest color change is your next appointment.
The Columbus pool calendar
Opening — target March 25
Target March 25; the practical window runs March 18–April 8, and the 7-day mean crosses the 61°F threshold around April 8. Cold-water starts are the cheap ones.
Closing — deadline November 4
The window opens October 26 once water leaves the algae zone; the model deadline is November 4, a week ahead of the November 11 freeze normal.
Estimated water temperature by month
This is Columbus'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46° | 47° | 52° | 60° | 67° | 75° | 80° | 81° | 78° | 70° | 59° | 51° |
Warmest water typically July–September (peaking near 81°F); heaters and covers shift any month up.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Brunswick's pool season and Dalton's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the Georgia season index.
Columbus pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Columbus, GA?
The site model recommends opening by March 25 — about two weeks before Columbus'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 Columbus opening guide.
When should I close my pool in Columbus?
Winterize by November 4. The model holds the deadline a week ahead of Columbus's NOAA 50% first-freeze date, so the plumbing is protected before the first hard night. The full sequence is in the Columbus closing guide.
How long is the swim season in Columbus?
Columbus averages 162 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — right on the statewide median. The Georgia season index ranks all 18 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Columbus?
An unheated pool near Columbus typically peaks around 81°F in high summer and bottoms out near 45°F in winter, spending roughly 2 months at or above the 78°F comfort line most swimmers prefer. The month-by-month curve above shows the whole cycle; the methodology page explains the ±5°F error bars.
Email me when Columbus hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Columbus #2 (3.6 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.