Pool swim season in Fort Lee, NJ
Fort Lee, NJ: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Fort Lee reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Fort Lee pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $227 | $777 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $268 | $693 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NJ prices of 24.1¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Fort Lee
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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: Teterboro Airport, 4.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fort Lee 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° | 33° | 1.9 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Feb | 43° | 35° | 2.8 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Mar | 51° | 42° | 3.8 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 53° | 5.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 63° | 5.6 | 61° | 67° | $189 | $218 |
| Jun | 82° | 73° | 6.1 | 71° | 77° | $38 | $50 |
| Jul | 87° | 78° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 76° | 5.5 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 69° | 4.4 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Oct | 67° | 57° | 3.0 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
| Nov | 56° | 47° | 2.1 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 45° | 38° | 1.6 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $189 with a heat pump, $218 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 55.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fort Lee compares with nearby cities
Fort Lee ranks 8 of 116 New Jersey cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palisades Park, NJ | 1 mi | 2 | 5 | $227 |
| Edgewater, NJ | 2 mi | 1 | 5 | $227 |
| Cliffside Park, NJ | 2 mi | 1 | 5 | $227 |
| Ridgefield, NJ | 3 mi | 2 | 5 | $232 |
| Ridgefield Park, NJ | 3 mi | 2 | 5 | $232 |
| Fairview, NJ | 3 mi | 1 | 5 | $233 |