Pool swim season in Dickinson, ND
Swim season in Dickinson without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Dickinson never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 71°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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Heater options for a Dickinson pool, side by side
| 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 | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $222 | $772 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $327 | $752 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at ND prices of 12.5¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Dickinson
Gas heater + cover: 4 of 4 possible months for about $752 a year all-in, which works out near $188 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: Dickinson, 0.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Dickinson 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 | 27° | 15° | 1.8 | 15° | 21° | – | – |
| Feb | 31° | 19° | 2.8 | 16° | 22° | – | – |
| Mar | 41° | 29° | 3.8 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Apr | 54° | 41° | 4.9 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| May | 66° | 53° | 5.9 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Jun | 75° | 62° | 6.7 | 61° | 67° | $95 | $141 |
| Jul | 83° | 69° | 7.0 | 70° | 76° | $29 | $47 |
| Aug | 83° | 68° | 5.8 | 71° | 77° | $19 | $30 |
| Sep | 73° | 58° | 4.4 | 64° | 70° | $79 | $109 |
| Oct | 57° | 43° | 2.8 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Nov | 42° | 30° | 1.8 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Dec | 30° | 18° | 1.3 | 22° | 28° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $95 with a heat pump, $141 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 7.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 49.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Dickinson compares with nearby cities
Dickinson ranks 8 of 9 North Dakota cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandan, ND | 90 mi | 0 | 4 | $180 |
| Bismarck, ND | 96 mi | 0 | 4 | $196 |
| Williston, ND | 98 mi | 0 | 4 | $197 |
| Minot, ND | 117 mi | 0 | 4 | $151 |
| Spearfish, SD | 173 mi | 0 | 4 | $198 |
| Box Elder, SD | 193 mi | 0 | 4 | $160 |