Pool swim season in Blacksburg, VA
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Blacksburg, VA?
An unheated pool in Blacksburg never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 73°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Blacksburg pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $298 | $848 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $576 | $1,001 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at VA prices of 16.9¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Blacksburg
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 2 months here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Blacksburg Nwso, 2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Blacksburg 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 | 42° | 32° | 2.2 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 35° | 2.9 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 53° | 42° | 3.9 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Apr | 64° | 51° | 5.1 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| May | 72° | 60° | 5.6 | 58° | 64° | $164 | $304 |
| Jun | 79° | 68° | 6.1 | 67° | 73° | $64 | $133 |
| Jul | 82° | 72° | 5.9 | 73° | 79° | $12 | $26 |
| Aug | 81° | 70° | 5.3 | 73° | 79° | $6 | $12 |
| Sep | 76° | 64° | 4.4 | 69° | 75° | $52 | $101 |
| Oct | 66° | 53° | 3.4 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 43° | 2.6 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Dec | 45° | 35° | 1.9 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $164 with a heat pump, $304 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 30.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Blacksburg compares with nearby cities
Blacksburg ranks 38 of 39 Virginia cities for unheated swim months; Salem, Roanoke nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christiansburg, VA | 6 mi | 0 | 5 | $286 |
| Radford, VA | 11 mi | 0 | 5 | $258 |
| Salem, VA | 21 mi | 2 | 6 | $198 |
| Roanoke, VA | 26 mi | 2 | 6 | $195 |
| Martinsville, VA | 49 mi | 0 | 7 | $510 |
| Mount Airy, NC | 51 mi | 0 | 5 | $155 |