Pool season · Virginia
Charlottesville Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · dates · water temp
Charlottesville'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.
Charlottesville, VA — 100 swim days a yearEach dot on the bar is one week of Charlottesville'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 7–April 28), solid teal is swim season, and hollow amber is the closing window ending October 19. The black marker is today — its position against the colors is the entire executive summary.
The Charlottesville pool calendar
Opening — target April 14
Open by April 14 — a two-week head start on the April 28 crossing keeps startup chemistry small and beats the local service rush.
Closing — deadline October 19
The window opens October 9 once water leaves the algae zone; the model deadline is October 19, a week ahead of the November 10 freeze normal.
Estimated water temperature by month
This is Charlottesville'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37° | 37° | 43° | 52° | 62° | 70° | 77° | 77° | 73° | 64° | 53° | 44° |
The curve peaks near 78°F — comfortable-water months here usually involve a heater or a solar cover.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Arlington's pool season and Chesapeake's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the Virginia season index.
Charlottesville pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Charlottesville, VA?
The site model recommends opening by April 14 — about two weeks before Charlottesville'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 Charlottesville opening guide.
When should I close my pool in Charlottesville?
Winterize by October 19. The model holds the deadline a week ahead of Charlottesville's NOAA 50% first-freeze date, so the plumbing is protected before the first hard night. The full sequence is in the Charlottesville closing guide.
How long is the swim season in Charlottesville?
Charlottesville averages 100 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — about 4 days later than the Virginia median. The Virginia season index ranks all 16 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Charlottesville?
An unheated pool near Charlottesville typically peaks around 78°F in high summer and bottoms out near 36°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 Charlottesville hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Charlottesville 2w (2.1 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.