Pool swim season in Grand Island, NE
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Grand Island, NE?
An unheated pool in Grand Island 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).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
What each heater buys you in Grand Island
| 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 | $142 | $692 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $247 | $672 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NE prices of 12.9¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Grand Island
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: Grand Is Cntrl NE Regional Airport, 3.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Grand Island 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 | 36° | 26° | 2.3 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Feb | 40° | 30° | 3.1 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Mar | 53° | 41° | 4.2 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 51° | 5.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 62° | 6.1 | 60° | 66° | $112 | $191 |
| Jun | 84° | 73° | 6.9 | 71° | 77° | $18 | $35 |
| Jul | 88° | 77° | 6.8 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 75° | 5.9 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 67° | 4.8 | 72° | 78° | $12 | $21 |
| Oct | 66° | 53° | 3.5 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Nov | 51° | 40° | 2.5 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 39° | 29° | 1.9 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $112 with a heat pump, $191 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 48.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Grand Island compares with nearby cities
Grand Island ranks 2 of 16 Nebraska cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings, NE | 23 mi | 2 | 5 | $145 |
| Kearney, NE | 41 mi | 0 | 5 | $197 |
| Columbus, NE | 63 mi | 1 | 5 | $155 |
| Lexington, NE | 73 mi | 0 | 5 | $185 |
| Lincoln, NE | 88 mi | 2 | 5 | $124 |
| Norfolk, NE | 90 mi | 0 | 5 | $225 |