Pool swim season in Cedar City, UT
Cedar City, UT: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Cedar City never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 78°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 Cedar City 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 | $209 | $759 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $301 | $726 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at UT prices of 13.2¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Cedar City
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 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: Cedar City, 1.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Cedar City 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° | 2.8 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 35° | 3.7 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 42° | 5.2 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 61° | 48° | 6.5 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 57° | 7.6 | 57° | 63° | $146 | $202 |
| Jun | 82° | 68° | 8.4 | 68° | 74° | $46 | $73 |
| Jul | 88° | 75° | 7.5 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 73° | 7.0 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 65° | 6.0 | 72° | 78° | $17 | $26 |
| Oct | 65° | 52° | 4.5 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Nov | 52° | 40° | 3.2 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 41° | 31° | 2.4 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $146 with a heat pump, $202 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Cedar City compares with nearby cities
Cedar City ranks 57 of 67 Utah cities for unheated swim months; Hurricane, Washington, Ivins nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane, UT | 40 mi | 3 | 7 | $209 |
| Washington, UT | 44 mi | 4 | 7 | $160 |
| Ivins, UT | 48 mi | 4 | 7 | $160 |
| St. George, UT | 50 mi | 4 | 7 | $160 |
| Mesquite, NV | 83 mi | 4 | 8 | $253 |
| North Las Vegas, NV | 146 mi | 5 | 8 | $162 |