There is a window every spring when a pool opening goes smoothly. The cover comes off clean. The water underneath is manageable. A few rounds of chemical treatment and a good vacuum get you to swim-ready within days.

Miss that window and the job changes. Algae gets a head start under the cover. Debris breaks down into the water. The pump and filter have to work harder to recover chemistry that should have been balanced weeks ago. What could have been a straightforward opening turns into a multiday cleanup.

In the Elkhorn, NE area, that window usually falls between late April and early May.