Pool swim season in Augusta, ME
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Augusta, ME?
An unheated pool in Augusta never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 72°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Augusta
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 0 | no month | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $452 | $1,002 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $565 | $990 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at ME prices of 30.2¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Augusta
Solar panels + cover: 3 of 4 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
A solar cover alone adds no swim months here, so if you want a longer season you need a heater (why); still use one at night to hold the heat you pay for. 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: Augusta State Airport, 3.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Augusta 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 | 29° | 20° | 1.7 | 23° | 29° | – | – |
| Feb | 32° | 23° | 2.5 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
| Mar | 41° | 32° | 3.7 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Apr | 54° | 44° | 4.6 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| May | 66° | 55° | 5.3 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Jun | 74° | 64° | 5.6 | 62° | 68° | $206 | $256 |
| Jul | 80° | 70° | 5.8 | 70° | 76° | $65 | $88 |
| Aug | 79° | 69° | 5.2 | 72° | 78° | $37 | $49 |
| Sep | 71° | 61° | 4.2 | 66° | 72° | $144 | $172 |
| Oct | 58° | 49° | 2.7 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Nov | 46° | 38° | 1.7 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Dec | 35° | 27° | 1.3 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $206 with a heat pump, $256 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 5.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 26.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Augusta compares with nearby cities
Augusta ranks 7 of 11 Maine cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterville, ME | 15 mi | 0 | 4 | $486 |
| Lewiston, ME | 28 mi | 0 | 4 | $410 |
| Auburn, ME | 31 mi | 0 | 4 | $410 |
| Westbrook, ME | 53 mi | 0 | 4 | $433 |
| Portland, ME | 53 mi | 0 | 4 | $433 |
| South Portland, ME | 56 mi | 0 | 4 | $433 |