Pool swim season in Huron, SD
Huron, SD: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Huron never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Huron pool, side by side
| 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 | $288 | $838 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $369 | $794 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at SD prices of 14.6¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Huron
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: Huron Regional Airport, 1.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Huron 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 | 26° | 16° | 2.0 | 17° | 23° | – | – |
| Feb | 31° | 21° | 3.0 | 18° | 24° | – | – |
| Mar | 44° | 33° | 3.9 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Apr | 58° | 46° | 5.0 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 58° | 5.8 | 55° | 61° | $180 | $221 |
| Jun | 80° | 68° | 6.5 | 67° | 73° | $59 | $84 |
| Jul | 86° | 74° | 6.8 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 83° | 71° | 5.7 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 76° | 63° | 4.4 | 68° | 74° | $49 | $64 |
| Oct | 60° | 48° | 3.0 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Nov | 44° | 33° | 2.0 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Dec | 30° | 21° | 1.5 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $180 with a heat pump, $221 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 27.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Huron compares with nearby cities
Huron ranks 8 of 14 South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell, SD | 45 mi | 0 | 5 | $235 |
| Watertown, SD | 64 mi | 0 | 4 | $182 |
| Brookings, SD | 70 mi | 0 | 4 | $183 |
| Aberdeen, SD | 77 mi | 0 | 4 | $173 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 93 mi | 0 | 4 | $93 |
| Brandon, SD | 97 mi | 0 | 5 | $255 |