Pool swim season in Alamogordo, NM
Swim season in Alamogordo without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Alamogordo reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Alamogordo pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $140 | $690 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $177 | $602 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NM prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Alamogordo
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 1 month here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Alamogordo, 2.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Alamogordo month by month: air, sun and pool water
| Month | Air high | Air avg | Sun kWh/m²/day | Water, unheated | Water, covered | Heat pump $ | Gas $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55° | 44° | 3.6 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Feb | 60° | 49° | 4.6 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 68° | 55° | 5.9 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Apr | 76° | 63° | 7.3 | 63° | 69° | $96 | $120 |
| May | 85° | 72° | 7.9 | 72° | 78° | $14 | $19 |
| Jun | 94° | 81° | 7.9 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jul | 93° | 81° | 7.0 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 79° | 6.5 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Sep | 86° | 74° | 5.8 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Oct | 75° | 63° | 4.9 | 71° | 77° | $30 | $38 |
| Nov | 64° | 52° | 3.9 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Dec | 54° | 43° | 3.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $96 with a heat pump, $120 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 60.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Alamogordo compares with nearby cities
Alamogordo ranks 4 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Cruces, NM | 62 mi | 4 | 8 | $343 |
| El Paso, TX | 77 mi | 4 | 8 | $224 |
| Sunland Park, NM | 82 mi | 4 | 8 | $333 |
| Horizon City, TX | 84 mi | 4 | 8 | $224 |
| Socorro, TX | 88 mi | 4 | 8 | $224 |
| Artesia, NM | 89 mi | 4 | 8 | $462 |