Pool season · Virginia
Richmond Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 15, 2026 · dates · water temp
This is the one-page view of Richmond'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.
Each dot on the bar is one week of Richmond'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 3–April 24), solid teal is swim season, and hollow amber is the closing window ending October 22. The black marker is today — its position against the colors is the entire executive summary.
The Richmond pool calendar
Opening — target April 10
Open by April 10 — a two-week head start on the April 24 crossing keeps startup chemistry small and beats the local service rush.
Closing — deadline October 22
Hold the cover until October 12, then winterize by October 22, a week ahead of the November 4 freeze normal. Late and cold beats early and warm.
Estimated water temperature by month
Monthly averages of the site's water model run on Richmond'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39° | 39° | 45° | 54° | 63° | 71° | 78° | 79° | 75° | 65° | 54° | 45° |
Warmest water typically July–August (peaking near 79°F); heaters and covers shift any month up.
Email me when Richmond hits the closing window
Data: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals via Richmond International Airport (8.7 mi); live outlook by Open-Meteo. Attribution: sources · assumptions: methodology.