Pool swim season in Hastings, NE
Hastings, NE: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Hastings 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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What each heater buys you in Hastings
| 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 | $145 | $695 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $252 | $677 |
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 Hastings
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: Hastings Municipal Airport, 1.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Hastings 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 | 41° | 30° | 3.1 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Mar | 53° | 41° | 4.2 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Apr | 63° | 51° | 5.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 62° | 6.1 | 60° | 66° | $113 | $192 |
| Jun | 84° | 73° | 6.9 | 71° | 77° | $19 | $37 |
| Jul | 88° | 77° | 6.8 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 75° | 5.9 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 66° | 4.8 | 72° | 78° | $13 | $23 |
| Oct | 65° | 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 $113 with a heat pump, $192 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 14.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Hastings compares with nearby cities
Hastings ranks 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Island, NE | 23 mi | 2 | 5 | $142 |
| Kearney, NE | 37 mi | 0 | 5 | $197 |
| Lexington, NE | 72 mi | 0 | 5 | $185 |
| Columbus, NE | 79 mi | 1 | 5 | $155 |
| Beatrice, NE | 89 mi | 2 | 5 | $151 |
| Lincoln, NE | 91 mi | 2 | 5 | $124 |