Pool swim season in Jerome, ID
Swim season in Jerome without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Jerome never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Jerome
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $89 | $639 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $105 | $530 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at ID prices of 13.0¢/kWh electricity and $8/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Jerome
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 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: Jerome, 1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Jerome 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° | 29° | 1.9 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Feb | 41° | 33° | 2.8 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 52° | 41° | 4.0 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Apr | 60° | 48° | 5.5 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 57° | 6.7 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 66° | 7.6 | 66° | 72° | $60 | $72 |
| Jul | 90° | 75° | 7.6 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 73° | 6.6 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 63° | 5.3 | 70° | 76° | $29 | $33 |
| Oct | 63° | 51° | 3.6 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Nov | 47° | 38° | 2.2 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Dec | 36° | 29° | 1.5 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $60 with a heat pump, $72 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 24.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Jerome compares with nearby cities
Jerome ranks 12 of 26 Idaho cities for unheated swim months; Mountain Home, Boise City nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Falls, ID | 11 mi | 0 | 5 | $211 |
| Burley, ID | 39 mi | 0 | 4 | $140 |
| Mountain Home, ID | 66 mi | 1 | 5 | $186 |
| Pocatello, ID | 105 mi | 0 | 5 | $232 |
| Chubbuck, ID | 105 mi | 0 | 4 | $119 |
| Boise City, ID | 106 mi | 1 | 5 | $167 |