The recommendation of our pool maintenance company has been , for many years, to open our pool in the first week of April. They have given me many reasons for this, but the most likely reason is, I suspect, to do it when they are least busy!

Having fired them last year and successfully maintained the pool myself in the interim, I now have the opportunity to open the pool to suit my schedule and based on a more rational set of reasons.

The most logical approach seems to me to base the opening time on water temperature and I have seen suggestions ranging between 50 and 60 degrees F.

Is there any consensus on the right temperature?
Is it based on data on the rate of algae growth at different temperatures?
Are there other considerations such as the amount of debris in the pool after winter, the amout of CYA and FC remaining, the opacity of the pool cover etc. etc.

Or is it all just about experience?

Thanks to the recent cold weather in the NE our pool hasn't even reached 50F, so the question so far remains moot, but I would like to hear what members of the forum think is the best time and why.
Thanks