Pool swim season in Mitchell, SD
Mitchell, SD: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Mitchell 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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What each heater buys you in Mitchell
| 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 | $235 | $785 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $307 | $732 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at SD prices of 14.6¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Mitchell
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 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: Mitchell, 1.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Mitchell 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 | 27° | 18° | 2.0 | 20° | 26° | – | – |
| Feb | 32° | 23° | 3.0 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
| Mar | 45° | 35° | 3.9 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Apr | 59° | 48° | 5.0 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 60° | 5.9 | 56° | 62° | $160 | $201 |
| Jun | 81° | 70° | 6.6 | 68° | 74° | $44 | $64 |
| Jul | 87° | 76° | 6.8 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 73° | 5.7 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 76° | 65° | 4.5 | 70° | 76° | $31 | $42 |
| Oct | 61° | 50° | 3.1 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Nov | 45° | 35° | 2.1 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Dec | 31° | 23° | 1.6 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $160 with a heat pump, $201 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 44.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Mitchell compares with nearby cities
Mitchell ranks 1 of 14 South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huron, SD | 45 mi | 0 | 5 | $288 |
| Yankton, SD | 66 mi | 0 | 5 | $228 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 67 mi | 0 | 4 | $93 |
| Harrisburg, SD | 70 mi | 0 | 4 | $119 |
| Brandon, SD | 73 mi | 0 | 5 | $255 |
| Brookings, SD | 74 mi | 0 | 4 | $183 |