The shape of the season
Las Vegas pool season runs roughly from early March to the end of October. Most large resorts open their main pools in the first half of March, dayclubs follow through March and April, everything is running by May, and the closures start in mid-October and finish by early November. Exact dates vary each year with the weather, with renovation schedules and with each resort's appetite; the safe assumption is that the main pool is open from mid-March to mid-October and anything outside that needs checking on the resort site. Through winter, most resorts keep at least one heated pool and a hot tub open for sunbathing, and a few venues run all year. Average temperatures below are typical highs; the desert swings wildly by day and cools fast at night, so bring a layer for the evening in every month except June to September.
The events hub has a short overview on its pool season page; this is the detailed month-by-month version. For the wider trip, see best time to visit Las Vegas.
March and April: opening weeks
Highs in the upper 60s to low 80s, cool mornings and windy afternoons. Pools open through March, and by late March the spring-break and March Madness crowds have the decks busy at weekends. Dayclubs open one by one; the first big weekends are usually mid-to-late March, with the full roster running by late April. Water is cool; heated pools matter. It is a good time for a pool day if you like sunbathing more than swimming, and the best time for cabana prices, which are far below summer. Wind is the risk: a gusty afternoon can close umbrellas and, occasionally, the deck.
May and early June: the sweet spot
Highs in the upper 80s to upper 90s, low humidity, long days and warm water. This is the best pool weather of the year: hot enough to be in the water all day, not yet hot enough to be dangerous on the deck at 3 pm. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of peak dayclub season and one of the busiest weekends of the year, with prices to match. Book cabanas and tables early for any weekend in May. Early June is similar and slightly quieter than May weekends, with EDC weekend in mid-May bringing a surge of dance-music fans to the dayclubs.
Late June, July and August: the heat
Highs of 100 to 110°F, with 115°F not unusual in July, and overnight lows that barely drop below 85. The pool is the only sane place to be, and the deck itself is hazardous by early afternoon: sand and concrete burn feet, metal chairs burn skin and the sun burns everything in fifteen minutes. This is when shade is a necessity, so a daybed or cabana is a genuine safety spend, and when the smart schedule is pool from opening to 1 pm, indoors until 4 and back out for the last two hours. Drink water constantly; heat exhaustion at pools and dayclubs is the most common medical call of the summer. Dayclubs run full tilt with the biggest lineups and highest prices, especially around July 4. Late July and August bring the monsoon: brief, violent thunderstorms with lightning that clear pools and dayclubs for an hour or two. Refunds are not given for storm closures unless the venue closes for the day.
September and early October: the second sweet spot
September highs drop from around 100 to the low 90s, with warm water and cooler evenings, and the crowds thin once school is back. Labor Day weekend is the last mega-party weekend of the year at the dayclubs. Mid-September to early October is, for many regulars, the best pool time in Las Vegas: comfortable heat, low prices midweek, smaller lines and everything still open. Convention season picks up, so weekday decks at the convention resorts can be busy at lunchtime and dead by 3 pm. Book by early October if you want a specific dayclub; the schedules start to thin.
Mid-October to February: what stays open
Highs slide from the low 80s in mid-October to the mid-50s and low 60s in December and January, then back to the high 60s in February. Main pools close through the second half of October; dayclubs close by late October or early November, with a few running Halloween weekend. What stays open: a heated pool and hot tub at most large resorts, often with limited hours; Stadium Swim at Circa, heated and ticketed every day of the year; TAO Beach, which uses its roof for off-season dates; and the Marquee Dayclub Dome on selected winter weekends. The Cosmopolitan's Boulevard Pool becomes an ice rink. A winter pool day is a hot-tub-and-sunbathing affair on a bright afternoon; it can be pleasant, but it is not a swim.
Sun and heat safety
- Sunscreen SPF 30 or higher, reapplied every 90 minutes; the desert UV index in summer is extreme and the pool shop charges $20 a bottle.
- A hat and sunglasses are not optional; the glare off the water doubles the dose.
- Water, then alcohol, then water; most pools have water stations and the bars sell bottles at $6 to $8.
- Footwear on the deck. Sand at Mandalay Bay and concrete everywhere else can exceed 150°F in July.
- Watch for heat exhaustion: headache, nausea, dizziness, no sweat. Get indoors, cool down, tell staff. Every pool has a medic or a protocol.
- Storm protocol: when lightning is within range, staff clear the water and the deck. Do the sensible thing and go inside.
Choosing your dates
For the best combination of weather, price and availability, aim for mid-May to early June or mid-September to early October, and go midweek. For the biggest dayclub lineups, the summer holiday weekends are the peak but also the most expensive and the hottest. For a bargain pool weekend, late March and April deliver sunshine and low cabana prices at the cost of cool water. For winter, accept that the pool is a bonus and plan the trip around shows and dining instead; our shows and nightlife hub is the place to start. And whatever the month, check the resort pool page for your dates before booking a hotel on the strength of its pool; a renovation closure can take a whole deck out for a season. Back to the pools and dayclubs hub.