Pool closing · State guide
When to Close Your Pool in Alabama
Last updated: July 15, 2026 · 10 cities covered
Closing deadlines across Alabama stretch about 28 days: Florence needs the cover on first (October 26), Mobile last (November 23), and the statewide median deadline is November 3.
Each deadline is the model's two-clock compromise — ten days after the water leaves the algae zone, capped a week before the local 50% first-freeze date. City pages carry the live widget that flags early-freeze years and the full winterizing sequence.
| City | Window opens | Close by | First freeze (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston | Oct 23 | Nov 2 | Nov 9 |
| Auburn | Oct 24 | Nov 3 | Nov 17 |
| Birmingham | Oct 25 | Nov 4 | Nov 11 |
| Dothan | Nov 7 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| Florence | Oct 16 | Oct 26 | Nov 3 |
| Hoover | Oct 23 | Nov 1 | Nov 8 |
| Huntsville | Oct 23 | Nov 1 | Nov 8 |
| Mobile | Nov 13 | Nov 23 | Dec 6 |
| Montgomery | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| Tuscaloosa | Oct 25 | Nov 3 | Nov 10 |
Dates are typical-year model outputs, not forecasts — each city guide carries the live widget that tracks the current year against them.
How to use these dates
Each "close by" deadline is the model's two-clock compromise for that city: ten days after its 7-day mean temperature falls back through 61°F (water goes algae-dormant soon after), but never later than a week before its 50% first-freeze date from the NOAA 1991–2020 normals. Closing inside the window seals cold, stable water under the cover; closing early seals a warm algae incubator instead.
Treat the dates as typical-year guidance, not forecasts. An early cold snap moves the real deadline — each city guide runs a live water-temperature widget that flags a 32°F night inside the 10-day forecast as urgent, and carries the full winterizing checklist in working order.