Pool swim season in Fort Morgan, CO
Fort Morgan, CO: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Fort Morgan never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°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 Fort Morgan
| 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $282 | $832 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $355 | $780 |
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 Fort Morgan
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.
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: Ft Morgan, 4.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fort Morgan 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 | 42° | 27° | 2.5 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 30° | 3.2 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 40° | 4.6 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 48° | 5.6 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| May | 72° | 58° | 6.4 | 56° | 62° | $188 | $227 |
| Jun | 84° | 69° | 7.4 | 68° | 74° | $58 | $81 |
| Jul | 90° | 75° | 7.2 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Aug | 88° | 72° | 6.4 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 64° | 5.3 | 70° | 76° | $36 | $47 |
| Oct | 66° | 50° | 3.8 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Nov | 52° | 37° | 2.7 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Dec | 42° | 28° | 2.1 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $188 with a heat pump, $227 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 36.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fort Morgan compares with nearby cities
Fort Morgan ranks 9 of 53 Colorado cities for unheated swim months; Sterling nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling, CO | 40 mi | 1 | 5 | $229 |
| Evans, CO | 51 mi | 0 | 5 | $232 |
| Greeley, CO | 53 mi | 0 | 5 | $232 |
| Brighton, CO | 57 mi | 0 | 5 | $292 |
| Commerce City, CO | 59 mi | 0 | 5 | $292 |
| Severance, CO | 59 mi | 0 | 4 | $138 |