Pool swim season in Durango, CO
Durango, CO: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Durango never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 71°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 Durango
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $478 | $1,028 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $588 | $1,013 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CO prices of 16.8¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Durango
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.
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: Durango, 2.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Durango 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 | 39° | 26° | 2.9 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 32° | 3.8 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 40° | 5.1 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 46° | 6.1 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| May | 71° | 54° | 6.8 | 54° | 60° | $225 | $257 |
| Jun | 81° | 64° | 7.8 | 64° | 70° | $102 | $133 |
| Jul | 85° | 69° | 6.6 | 70° | 76° | $38 | $54 |
| Aug | 82° | 67° | 6.1 | 71° | 77° | $29 | $39 |
| Sep | 76° | 60° | 5.4 | 66° | 72° | $84 | $105 |
| Oct | 64° | 49° | 4.2 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Nov | 50° | 36° | 3.1 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Dec | 40° | 27° | 2.5 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $225 with a heat pump, $257 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 42.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Durango compares with nearby cities
Durango ranks 51 of 53 Colorado cities for unheated swim months; Farmington, Grand Junction, Fruita nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington, NM | 39 mi | 2 | 5 | $156 |
| Montrose, CO | 83 mi | 0 | 5 | $237 |
| Gallup, NM | 130 mi | 0 | 5 | $272 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 132 mi | 2 | 5 | $115 |
| Española, NM | 133 mi | 0 | 6 | $368 |
| Fruita, CO | 139 mi | 2 | 5 | $175 |