Pool swim season in Cudahy, WI
Cudahy, WI: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Cudahy never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Cudahy
| 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 | $144 | $694 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $167 | $592 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WI prices of 19.1¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Cudahy
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: Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, 2.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Cudahy 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 | 31° | 24° | 1.4 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Feb | 34° | 27° | 2.2 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Mar | 44° | 36° | 3.4 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Apr | 55° | 46° | 4.5 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| May | 67° | 57° | 5.3 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Jun | 77° | 68° | 5.9 | 65° | 71° | $93 | $109 |
| Jul | 82° | 73° | 6.1 | 74° | 80° | $5 | $6 |
| Aug | 80° | 72° | 5.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 74° | 65° | 4.2 | 70° | 76° | $46 | $52 |
| Oct | 61° | 53° | 2.7 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 48° | 40° | 1.8 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 36° | 30° | 1.2 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $93 with a heat pump, $109 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 57.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Cudahy compares with nearby cities
Cudahy ranks 6 of 98 Wisconsin 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 Milwaukee, WI | 2 mi | 0 | 4 | $181 |
| Oak Creek, WI | 5 mi | 0 | 4 | $181 |
| Greendale, WI | 7 mi | 0 | 4 | $190 |
| Greenfield, WI | 7 mi | 0 | 4 | $190 |
| Franklin, WI | 9 mi | 0 | 4 | $190 |
| West Allis, WI | 9 mi | 0 | 4 | $115 |