Pool swim season in Minot, ND
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Minot, ND?
An unheated pool in Minot never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 73°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 Minot
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 1 | Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $151 | $701 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $228 | $653 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at ND prices of 12.5¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Minot
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 1 month 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: Minot International Airport, 1.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Minot 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 | 23° | 14° | 1.7 | 15° | 21° | – | – |
| Feb | 27° | 17° | 2.9 | 15° | 21° | – | – |
| Mar | 40° | 29° | 4.0 | 24° | 30° | – | – |
| Apr | 56° | 44° | 4.9 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| May | 69° | 56° | 5.8 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Jun | 78° | 66° | 6.2 | 64° | 70° | $71 | $109 |
| Jul | 84° | 71° | 6.6 | 72° | 78° | $13 | $22 |
| Aug | 84° | 70° | 5.4 | 73° | 79° | $6 | $10 |
| Sep | 73° | 60° | 4.0 | 66° | 72° | $61 | $87 |
| Oct | 57° | 46° | 2.5 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Nov | 40° | 30° | 1.5 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Dec | 27° | 18° | 1.2 | 22° | 28° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $71 with a heat pump, $109 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 33.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Minot compares with nearby cities
Minot ranks 1 of 9 North Dakota cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandan, ND | 99 mi | 0 | 4 | $180 |
| Bismarck, ND | 101 mi | 0 | 4 | $196 |
| Williston, ND | 109 mi | 0 | 4 | $197 |
| Dickinson, ND | 117 mi | 0 | 4 | $222 |
| Jamestown, ND | 151 mi | 0 | 4 | $186 |
| Grand Forks, ND | 195 mi | 0 | 3 | $119 |