Pool season · Pennsylvania
Scranton Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
This is the one-page view of Scranton'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.
Scranton, PA — 77 swim days a yearEach dot on the bar is one week of Scranton'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 25–May 16), solid teal is swim season, and hollow amber is the closing window ending October 5. The black marker is today — its position against the colors is the entire executive summary.
The Scranton pool calendar
Opening — target May 2
Target May 2; the practical window runs April 25–May 16, and the 7-day mean crosses the 61°F threshold around May 16. Cold-water starts are the cheap ones.
Closing — deadline October 5
Hold the cover until September 25, then winterize by October 5, a week ahead of the October 20 freeze normal. Late and cold beats early and warm.
Estimated water temperature by month
This is Scranton'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30° | 28° | 34° | 45° | 57° | 65° | 72° | 73° | 69° | 59° | 48° | 38° |
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 Reading's pool season and State College's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the Pennsylvania season index.
Scranton pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Scranton, PA?
The site model recommends opening by May 2 — about two weeks before Scranton'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 Scranton opening guide.
When should I close my pool in Scranton?
Winterize by October 5. The model holds the deadline a week ahead of Scranton's NOAA 50% first-freeze date, so the plumbing is protected before the first hard night. The full sequence is in the Scranton closing guide.
How long is the swim season in Scranton?
Scranton averages 77 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — right on the statewide median. The Pennsylvania season index ranks all 12 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Scranton?
An unheated pool near Scranton typically peaks around 74°F in high summer and bottoms out near 28°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 Scranton hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Wilkes-barre International Airport (5.8 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.