Pool season · Minnesota
Minneapolis Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
Minneapolis'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.
Minneapolis, MN — 58 swim days a yearThe bar compresses Minneapolis's whole pool year into one lane rope: gray floats for the off-season, hollow teal for the May 1–May 22 opening window, solid teal for swim weeks, hollow amber for the closing stretch that ends September 30. Wherever the today marker sits, the nearest color change is your next appointment.
The Minneapolis pool calendar
Opening — target May 8
Open by May 8 — a two-week head start on the May 22 crossing keeps startup chemistry small and beats the local service rush.
Closing — deadline September 30
The window opens September 20 once water leaves the algae zone; the model deadline is September 30, a week ahead of the October 16 freeze normal.
Estimated water temperature by month
This is Minneapolis'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17° | 16° | 26° | 40° | 53° | 65° | 72° | 73° | 67° | 56° | 40° | 26° |
The curve peaks near 74°F — comfortable-water months here usually involve a heater or a solar cover.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Lakeville's pool season and Plymouth's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the Minnesota season index.
Minneapolis pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Minneapolis, MN?
Open by May 8 — the model places Minneapolis's 61°F crossing about two weeks later, and every warm day you wait pushes the water toward the 65°F algae zone. The Minneapolis opening guide has the 12-step sequence.
When should I close my pool in Minneapolis?
Close by September 30: cool water keeps its winter chemistry, but freeze damage is the hard stop. The Minneapolis closing guide sequences the work backward from that date.
How long is the swim season in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis averages 58 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — right on the statewide median. The Minnesota season index ranks all 10 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Minneapolis?
An unheated pool near Minneapolis typically peaks around 74°F in high summer and bottoms out near 15°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 Minneapolis hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Lower St Anthony Falls (1.4 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.