Don't drain your pool in mild climates.

Just lower the water level, add winter chemicals, and cover it. No need to drain it dry or blow out lines if you’re somewhere that gets only a few freezes a year.

In mild climates (think zone 7 and warmer, or anywhere the ground never freezes more than a couple inches), the pool shell is safe with water in it. Draining an above-ground pool completely can actually cause the liner to shrink or the walls to buckle under wind or ground pressure. Keep a few feet of water in it to hold everything in place.

What you do need to do: drop the water level to just below the skimmer and return jets (so ice doesn’t crack them), add a winterizing chemical kit (oxidizer, algaecide, and a clarifying agent), and throw on a good cover. If you have a sand filter, drain the water from it and leave the valve open. For a cartridge filter, pull the cartridge and store it inside. A winterizing plug for the pump is cheap insurance.

The only real risk is if you get a surprise hard freeze — but if you live in a climate where that’s rare, a little antifreeze in the pump and a floating winter pillow to absorb ice expansion is plenty.

You don’t need to do the full New England shutdown. Save the effort.