Pool swim season in Chestnut Ridge, NY
Chestnut Ridge, NY: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Chestnut Ridge never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Chestnut Ridge
| 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 | $410 | $960 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $486 | $911 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NY prices of 29.3¢/kWh electricity and $18/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Chestnut Ridge
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: Dobbs Ferry-Ardsley, 12.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Chestnut Ridge 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 | 40° | 31° | 1.8 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Feb | 43° | 34° | 2.6 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Mar | 51° | 41° | 3.6 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 51° | 4.6 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 61° | 5.3 | 59° | 65° | $273 | $313 |
| Jun | 81° | 70° | 5.8 | 68° | 74° | $91 | $116 |
| Jul | 86° | 75° | 5.9 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 74° | 5.1 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 67° | 4.2 | 71° | 77° | $46 | $57 |
| Oct | 65° | 55° | 2.8 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 45° | 2.0 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Dec | 45° | 37° | 1.4 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $273 with a heat pump, $313 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 5.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 59.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Chestnut Ridge compares with nearby cities
Chestnut Ridge ranks 33 of 90 New York cities for unheated swim months; Hillsdale nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley, NY | 2 mi | 0 | 5 | $410 |
| Airmont, NY | 3 mi | 0 | 5 | $470 |
| Suffern, NY | 5 mi | 0 | 5 | $470 |
| Hillsdale, NJ | 5 mi | 2 | 5 | $238 |
| Ramsey, NJ | 5 mi | 0 | 5 | $387 |
| Waldwick, NJ | 6 mi | 0 | 5 | $387 |