Pool swim season in Kennewick, WA
Kennewick, WA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Kennewick reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Kennewick pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 1 | Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $141 | $691 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $344 | $769 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WA prices of 14.4¢/kWh electricity and $18/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Kennewick
Solar panels + cover: 5 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: Kennewick, 3.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Kennewick 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 | 42° | 36° | 1.2 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Feb | 48° | 40° | 2.3 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Mar | 58° | 47° | 3.6 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Apr | 66° | 54° | 5.4 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 75° | 63° | 6.5 | 62° | 68° | $103 | $246 |
| Jun | 82° | 69° | 7.2 | 70° | 76° | $30 | $78 |
| Jul | 91° | 77° | 7.7 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 76° | 6.4 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 67° | 4.7 | 73° | 79° | $8 | $20 |
| Oct | 66° | 55° | 3.0 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 51° | 43° | 1.6 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Dec | 42° | 36° | 1.0 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $103 with a heat pump, $246 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 7.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Kennewick compares with nearby cities
Kennewick ranks 1 of 91 Washington cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasco, WA | 5 mi | 0 | 5 | $190 |
| Richland, WA | 8 mi | 0 | 5 | $187 |
| West Richland, WA | 13 mi | 0 | 5 | $187 |
| Hermiston, OR | 26 mi | 1 | 5 | $202 |
| Grandview, WA | 35 mi | 0 | 5 | $301 |
| Pendleton, OR | 40 mi | 0 | 5 | $259 |