Pool swim season in Brainerd, MN
Brainerd, MN: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Brainerd never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 70°F in Aug. The air allows up to 3 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Aug).
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What each heater buys you in Brainerd
| 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 | Jun to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $180 | $730 |
| Gas heater + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $245 | $670 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MN prices of 16.4¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Brainerd
Solar panels + cover: 3 of 3 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: Brainerd, 1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Brainerd 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 | 20° | 9° | 1.7 | 11° | 17° | – | – |
| Feb | 25° | 13° | 2.8 | 11° | 17° | – | – |
| Mar | 38° | 27° | 3.8 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
| Apr | 53° | 41° | 4.9 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| May | 67° | 55° | 5.4 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Jun | 76° | 65° | 6.0 | 63° | 69° | $108 | $144 |
| Jul | 80° | 69° | 6.3 | 70° | 76° | $36 | $51 |
| Aug | 78° | 67° | 5.3 | 70° | 76° | $36 | $50 |
| Sep | 70° | 58° | 3.9 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
| Oct | 55° | 45° | 2.5 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Nov | 38° | 30° | 1.6 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Dec | 25° | 16° | 1.1 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $108 with a heat pump, $144 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 28.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Brainerd compares with nearby cities
Brainerd ranks 96 of 103 Minnesota cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sartell, MN | 51 mi | 0 | 4 | $206 |
| Sauk Rapids, MN | 53 mi | 0 | 4 | $233 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 57 mi | 0 | 4 | $233 |
| Alexandria, MN | 65 mi | 0 | 3 | $132 |
| Grand Rapids, MN | 69 mi | 0 | 3 | $230 |
| Cambridge, MN | 72 mi | 0 | 4 | $195 |