Pool season · Louisiana
New Orleans Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
New Orleans's whole pool calendar, condensed: when the water warms, when it cools, and where today falls between those edges. Use the opening guide and closing guide for the step-by-step work; keep this page for the dates.
New Orleans, LA — 171 swim days a yearThe bar compresses New Orleans'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 2. Wherever the today marker sits, the nearest color change is your next appointment.
The New Orleans pool calendar
Opening — target February 15
Open by February 15 — a two-week head start on the March 1 crossing keeps startup chemistry small and beats the local service rush.
Closing — deadline December 2
The window opens November 22 once water leaves the algae zone; the model deadline is December 2, a week ahead of the January 5 freeze normal.
Estimated water temperature by month
Monthly averages of the site's water model run on New Orleans'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54° | 56° | 61° | 68° | 74° | 81° | 84° | 85° | 84° | 77° | 67° | 59° |
Warmest water typically June–September (peaking near 85°F); heaters and covers shift any month up.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Monroe's pool season and Shreveport's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the Louisiana season index.
New Orleans pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in New Orleans, LA?
Open by February 15 — the model places New Orleans's 61°F crossing about two weeks later, and every warm day you wait pushes the water toward the 65°F algae zone. The New Orleans opening guide has the 12-step sequence.
When should I close my pool in New Orleans?
Close by December 2: cool water keeps its winter chemistry, but freeze damage is the hard stop. The New Orleans closing guide sequences the work backward from that date.
How long is the swim season in New Orleans?
New Orleans averages 171 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — about 16 days earlier than the Louisiana median. The Louisiana season index ranks all 13 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in New Orleans?
An unheated pool near New Orleans typically peaks around 85°F in high summer and bottoms out near 54°F in winter, spending roughly 4 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 New Orleans hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via New Orleans Lakefront Airport (6.2 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.