Pool swim season in Moscow, ID
Moscow, ID: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Moscow never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 68°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 Moscow
| 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 | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $320 | $870 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $355 | $780 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at ID prices of 13.0¢/kWh electricity and $8/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Moscow
Gas heater + cover: 4 of 4 possible months for about $780 a year all-in, which works out near $195 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: Moscow U Of I, 2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Moscow 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 | 37° | 30° | 1.3 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Feb | 42° | 33° | 2.2 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 50° | 39° | 3.3 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Apr | 58° | 45° | 4.8 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| May | 67° | 53° | 6.0 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Jun | 73° | 58° | 6.8 | 59° | 65° | $126 | $135 |
| Jul | 84° | 65° | 7.5 | 66° | 72° | $62 | $73 |
| Aug | 86° | 65° | 6.2 | 68° | 74° | $42 | $51 |
| Sep | 76° | 58° | 4.5 | 63° | 69° | $90 | $96 |
| Oct | 61° | 47° | 2.8 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Nov | 45° | 36° | 1.5 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Dec | 36° | 29° | 1.0 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $126 with a heat pump, $135 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 7.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 45.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Moscow compares with nearby cities
Moscow ranks 26 of 26 Idaho cities for unheated swim months; Lewiston nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pullman, WA | 8 mi | 0 | 4 | $274 |
| Lewiston, ID | 23 mi | 1 | 5 | $189 |
| Cheney, WA | 59 mi | 0 | 4 | $410 |
| Liberty Lake, WA | 65 mi | 0 | 4 | $166 |
| Spokane Valley, WA | 65 mi | 0 | 4 | $166 |
| Spokane, WA | 68 mi | 0 | 4 | $166 |