Pool swim season in Las Vegas, NM
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Las Vegas, NM?
An unheated pool in Las Vegas never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 71°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Las Vegas
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $391 | $941 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $469 | $894 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NM prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Las Vegas
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.
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: Las Vegas Water Treatment Plant, 2.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Las Vegas 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 | 50° | 31° | 3.3 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 53° | 34° | 4.2 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 60° | 40° | 5.5 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 48° | 6.7 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 75° | 55° | 7.5 | 56° | 62° | $183 | $205 |
| Jun | 85° | 65° | 7.8 | 65° | 71° | $81 | $104 |
| Jul | 85° | 68° | 6.9 | 70° | 76° | $30 | $41 |
| Aug | 84° | 67° | 6.4 | 71° | 77° | $25 | $33 |
| Sep | 79° | 60° | 5.7 | 66° | 72° | $72 | $86 |
| Oct | 69° | 49° | 4.7 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Nov | 59° | 39° | 3.5 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Dec | 50° | 31° | 2.9 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $183 with a heat pump, $205 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 28.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Las Vegas compares with nearby cities
Las Vegas ranks 19 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months; Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, Los Lunas nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, NM | 43 mi | 0 | 5 | $300 |
| Española, NM | 55 mi | 0 | 6 | $368 |
| Rio Rancho, NM | 86 mi | 2 | 7 | $313 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 88 mi | 2 | 7 | $348 |
| Los Lunas, NM | 105 mi | 2 | 7 | $372 |
| Clovis, NM | 140 mi | 2 | 7 | $301 |