You average 4ft of rain a year across the state. (42 to 52 inches). You won't have nearly that much evaporation and will need to drain occasionally.
I'm a huge fan of a 3 way diverter foe cartridge filter between the pump and filter to drain. It also comes in handy vacuuming the heavy spring crud to waste. Sand and DE already have the option with a multi position valve (MPV)
You obviously need a good path for the drain water to go.
If draining below the skimmers, like for fall closing (if you close), you need to babysit the pump to ensure it doesn't lose prime. As long as it's flowing strong, it's fine. But if it loses prime you can waste a $2k pump pretty quick so that's why we rec to use a submersible. I have no problems watching my pump for the fall drain. There's plenty of other stuff to do for closing and I don't leave the general area.