Pool swim season in Kearney, NE
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Kearney, NE?
An unheated pool in Kearney never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°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 Kearney 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 | $197 | $747 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $335 | $760 |
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 Kearney
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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Kearney 4 NE, 4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Kearney 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° | 25° | 2.3 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Feb | 40° | 28° | 3.1 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Mar | 51° | 38° | 4.3 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Apr | 62° | 49° | 5.4 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| May | 72° | 60° | 6.1 | 57° | 63° | $135 | $222 |
| Jun | 82° | 70° | 7.1 | 69° | 75° | $35 | $66 |
| Jul | 87° | 75° | 7.0 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 73° | 6.0 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 65° | 4.9 | 70° | 76° | $27 | $47 |
| Oct | 65° | 51° | 3.5 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Nov | 51° | 38° | 2.6 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Dec | 38° | 27° | 2.0 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $135 with a heat pump, $222 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Kearney compares with nearby cities
Kearney ranks 13 of 16 Nebraska cities for unheated swim months; Hastings, Grand Island, Columbus nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington, NE | 35 mi | 0 | 5 | $185 |
| Hastings, NE | 37 mi | 2 | 5 | $145 |
| Grand Island, NE | 41 mi | 2 | 5 | $142 |
| North Platte, NE | 92 mi | 0 | 5 | $210 |
| Columbus, NE | 103 mi | 1 | 5 | $155 |
| Norfolk, NE | 126 mi | 0 | 5 | $225 |