Pool swim season in Burlington, VT
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Burlington, VT?
An unheated pool in Burlington never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 74°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
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- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a Burlington 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $224 | $774 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $342 | $767 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at VT prices of 23.9¢/kWh electricity and $18/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Burlington
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 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 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: Burlington International Airport, 4.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Burlington 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° | 21° | 1.5 | 23° | 29° | – | – |
| Feb | 32° | 23° | 2.3 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
| Mar | 41° | 32° | 3.4 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Apr | 55° | 46° | 4.5 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| May | 69° | 58° | 5.2 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Jun | 78° | 68° | 5.6 | 66° | 72° | $113 | $176 |
| Jul | 82° | 72° | 5.7 | 73° | 79° | $17 | $28 |
| Aug | 81° | 71° | 5.1 | 74° | 80° | $5 | $8 |
| Sep | 73° | 63° | 4.1 | 68° | 74° | $89 | $130 |
| Oct | 59° | 50° | 2.4 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Nov | 46° | 39° | 1.5 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Dec | 35° | 28° | 1.1 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $113 with a heat pump, $176 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 5.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 20.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Burlington compares with nearby cities
Burlington ranks 1 of 4 Vermont cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Burlington, VT | 5 mi | 0 | 4 | $224 |
| Essex Junction, VT | 6 mi | 0 | 4 | $284 |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 18 mi | 0 | 4 | $476 |
| Rutland, VT | 62 mi | 0 | 4 | $457 |
| Lebanon, NH | 77 mi | 0 | 4 | $383 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 84 mi | 0 | 5 | $850 |