Pool season · North Carolina
Burlington Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
Burlington'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.
Burlington, NC — 126 swim days a yearEach dot on the bar is one week of Burlington's typical year, colored by what the model says that week is for: gray weeks are off-season, hollow teal marks the opening window (March 30–April 20), solid teal is swim season, and hollow amber is the closing window ending October 26. The black marker is today — its position against the colors is the entire executive summary.
The Burlington pool calendar
Opening — target April 6
Target April 6; the practical window runs March 30–April 20, and the 7-day mean crosses the 61°F threshold around April 20. Cold-water starts are the cheap ones.
Closing — deadline October 26
The window opens October 16 once water leaves the algae zone; the model deadline is October 26, a week ahead of the November 9 freeze normal.
Estimated water temperature by month
Monthly averages of the site's water model run on Burlington'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42° | 42° | 48° | 56° | 64° | 73° | 79° | 79° | 75° | 66° | 56° | 47° |
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 Asheville's pool season and Cary's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the North Carolina season index.
Burlington pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Burlington, NC?
The site model recommends opening by April 6 — about two weeks before Burlington'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 Burlington opening guide.
When should I close my pool in Burlington?
Winterize by October 26. The model holds the deadline a week ahead of Burlington's NOAA 50% first-freeze date, so the plumbing is protected before the first hard night. The full sequence is in the Burlington closing guide.
How long is the swim season in Burlington?
Burlington averages 126 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — right on the statewide median. The North Carolina season index ranks all 17 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Burlington?
An unheated pool near Burlington typically peaks around 80°F in high summer and bottoms out near 41°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 Burlington hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Burlington Fire Station #5 (1.6 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.