Pool season · Kansas
Lawrence Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
This is the one-page view of Lawrence'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.
Lawrence, KS — 105 swim days a yearEach dot on the bar is one week of Lawrence's typical year, colored by what the model says that week is for: gray weeks are off-season, hollow teal marks the opening window (April 15–May 6), solid teal is swim season, and hollow amber is the closing window ending October 16. The black marker is today — its position against the colors is the entire executive summary.
The Lawrence pool calendar
Opening — target April 22
Target April 22; the practical window runs April 15–May 6, and the 7-day mean crosses the 61°F threshold around May 6. Cold-water starts are the cheap ones.
Closing — deadline October 16
The window opens October 6 once water leaves the algae zone; the model deadline is October 16, a week ahead of the October 28 freeze normal.
Estimated water temperature by month
Monthly averages of the site's water model run on Lawrence'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30° | 30° | 39° | 50° | 60° | 71° | 78° | 79° | 73° | 63° | 50° | 38° |
Warmest water typically July–August (peaking near 80°F); heaters and covers shift any month up.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Kansas City's pool season and Olathe's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the Kansas season index.
Lawrence pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Lawrence, KS?
Open by April 22 — the model places Lawrence's 61°F crossing about two weeks later, and every warm day you wait pushes the water toward the 65°F algae zone. The Lawrence opening guide has the 12-step sequence.
When should I close my pool in Lawrence?
Close by October 16: cool water keeps its winter chemistry, but freeze damage is the hard stop. The Lawrence closing guide sequences the work backward from that date.
How long is the swim season in Lawrence?
Lawrence averages 105 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — right on the statewide median. The Kansas season index ranks all 6 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Lawrence?
An unheated pool near Lawrence typically peaks around 80°F in high summer and bottoms out near 29°F in winter, spending roughly 1 month 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 Lawrence hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Lawrence (0.7 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.