Pool season · Virginia
Richmond Pool Season: the Year on One Bar
Last updated: July 25, 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.
Richmond, VA — 116 swim days a yearEach 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.
Every station tells its own story: compare this curve with Portsmouth's pool season and Roanoke's — neighboring normals stations can shift the windows by a week or more. The full ranking lives on the Virginia season index.
Richmond pool season FAQ
When should I open my pool in Richmond, VA?
Target April 10. That date backs off two weeks from the day Richmond's 7-day mean temperature reaches 61°F, so you start up in cold, algae-resistant water. Work the full checklist in the Richmond opening guide.
When should I close my pool in Richmond?
The closing deadline is October 22 — late enough that the water has cooled out of the algae zone, early enough to beat Richmond's first-freeze normal by about a week. See the Richmond closing guide for the winterizing steps.
How long is the swim season in Richmond?
Richmond averages 116 days a year with normal highs of 80°F or better — right on the statewide median. The Virginia season index ranks all 16 covered cities by the same metric.
How warm does pool water get in Richmond?
An unheated pool near Richmond typically peaks around 79°F in high summer and bottoms out near 38°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 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.