Pool swim season in Lincoln, NE
Swim season in Lincoln without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Lincoln reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Lincoln
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $124 | $674 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $217 | $642 |
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 Lincoln
Solar cover only: 4 of 5 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $25 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: Lincoln Airport, 5.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Lincoln 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° | 2.2 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Feb | 41° | 30° | 3.1 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 41° | 4.0 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 52° | 5.1 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| May | 75° | 63° | 5.9 | 60° | 66° | $104 | $179 |
| Jun | 85° | 74° | 6.6 | 72° | 78° | $13 | $26 |
| Jul | 89° | 78° | 6.6 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 76° | 5.7 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 67° | 4.7 | 73° | 79° | $7 | $12 |
| Oct | 67° | 54° | 3.4 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 52° | 40° | 2.4 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 39° | 29° | 1.9 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $104 with a heat pump, $179 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 37.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Lincoln compares with nearby cities
Lincoln ranks 1 of 16 Nebraska cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beatrice, NE | 37 mi | 2 | 5 | $151 |
| Papillion, NE | 39 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| La Vista, NE | 41 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| Fremont, NE | 45 mi | 0 | 5 | $162 |
| Bellevue, NE | 45 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| Omaha, NE | 45 mi | 0 | 5 | $150 |