Pool swim season in Fargo, ND
Swim season in Fargo without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Fargo never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 72°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 Fargo
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 1 | Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $165 | $715 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $249 | $674 |
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 Fargo
Solar panels + cover: 3 of 4 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 1 month 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: Fargo 3S, 2.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fargo 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 | 17° | 8° | 1.8 | 10° | 16° | – | – |
| Feb | 22° | 12° | 3.0 | 10° | 16° | – | – |
| Mar | 35° | 26° | 3.9 | 20° | 26° | – | – |
| Apr | 53° | 42° | 4.9 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| May | 68° | 56° | 5.6 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Jun | 77° | 66° | 6.2 | 64° | 70° | $68 | $106 |
| Jul | 82° | 71° | 6.5 | 72° | 78° | $14 | $23 |
| Aug | 80° | 69° | 5.4 | 72° | 78° | $14 | $22 |
| Sep | 72° | 60° | 4.1 | 65° | 71° | $69 | $98 |
| Oct | 56° | 45° | 2.6 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Nov | 38° | 29° | 1.6 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Dec | 24° | 15° | 1.2 | 20° | 26° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Sep (about $69 with a heat pump, $98 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 47.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fargo compares with nearby cities
Fargo ranks 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Fargo, ND | 4 mi | 0 | 4 | $165 |
| Moorhead, MN | 4 mi | 0 | 4 | $188 |
| Detroit Lakes, MN | 47 mi | 0 | 3 | $191 |
| Fergus Falls, MN | 54 mi | 0 | 4 | $218 |
| Grand Forks, ND | 74 mi | 0 | 3 | $119 |
| Jamestown, ND | 88 mi | 0 | 4 | $186 |