Lazy days soaking up the sun as the kids laugh and splash in the pool… Ahh the things summers are made of. But, alas every year without fail, school starts up and Fall creeps in leaving you fewer and fewer opportunities to enjoy that relaxation. Like any pool owner you want to keep your pool open as long as possible to make sure you get in every last chance to enjoy your investment. Waiting until the last possible minute is a risky game to play. Most would say the reward is totally worth it though. Worth it, unless you wait too late and the first freeze comes earlier than expected. That is when disaster can strike. So what do the experts recommend? How late is too late to shut down that pool?
That is a tricky question. Anyone who has lived in the Midwest for any length of time will tell you that the weather here is unpredictable at best. It is not uncommon to be sporting shorts on Monday and need a coat by Wednesday, so please keep in mind that these recommendations are not an exact science.
You can pretty much count on the weather being mostly agreeable until at least the 2nd week in September, but by the third week temperatures are going to start trending down. The daytime temperatures will probably be tolerable for swimming, but unless you enjoy the polar plunge you will probably start avoiding the pool in the evening. From that point on you might catch an occasional day of reasonable weather until around the 2nd week in October, when temperatures will likely begin to hoover in the 60’s. Here is your ideal window for pool closure. You have snuck in the best of the late swimming days, and can (almost) be certain that you won’t hit a freeze that early. From this week on you will see temperatures begin to decrease. How quickly they decline will depend on the year, but inevitably your swimming days will definitely have come to an end.
So, what is the ideal window? You should probably shoot for the last couple of weeks in October. Any earlier and you will be kicking yourself for missing out on so many beautiful days. Wait any later and an early freeze could spell disaster. If you are planning on taking advantage of our pool closing services, be sure to give us a call or send an email so we can get you on the books today.