Pool swim season in Jamestown, ND
Jamestown, ND: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Jamestown never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 72°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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Heater options for a Jamestown pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 0 | no month | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $186 | $736 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $279 | $704 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at ND prices of 12.5¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Jamestown
Solar panels + cover: 3 of 4 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
A solar cover alone adds no swim months here, so if you want a longer season you need a heater (why); still use one at night to hold the heat you pay for. 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: Jamestown State Hosp, 1.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Jamestown 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 | 18° | 9° | 1.9 | 11° | 17° | – | – |
| Feb | 23° | 14° | 3.0 | 12° | 18° | – | – |
| Mar | 36° | 26° | 4.0 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
| Apr | 53° | 41° | 5.0 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| May | 67° | 55° | 5.7 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Jun | 77° | 65° | 6.4 | 63° | 69° | $77 | $118 |
| Jul | 82° | 70° | 6.6 | 71° | 77° | $18 | $30 |
| Aug | 80° | 68° | 5.5 | 72° | 78° | $17 | $27 |
| Sep | 71° | 59° | 4.2 | 65° | 71° | $74 | $104 |
| Oct | 55° | 44° | 2.7 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Nov | 38° | 28° | 1.7 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Dec | 24° | 16° | 1.3 | 20° | 26° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $77 with a heat pump, $118 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 47.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Jamestown compares with nearby cities
Jamestown ranks 6 of 9 North 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Fargo, ND | 85 mi | 0 | 4 | $165 |
| Fargo, ND | 88 mi | 0 | 4 | $165 |
| Moorhead, MN | 92 mi | 0 | 4 | $188 |
| Bismarck, ND | 98 mi | 0 | 4 | $196 |
| Aberdeen, SD | 100 mi | 0 | 4 | $173 |
| Grand Forks, ND | 103 mi | 0 | 3 | $119 |