Pool swim season in New York, NY
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in New York, NY?
An unheated pool in New York reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a New York pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 1 | Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $302 | $852 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $361 | $786 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NY prices of 29.3¢/kWh electricity and $18/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in New York
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 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: Ny Ave V Brooklyn, 5.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
New York 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 | 40° | 34° | 1.9 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Feb | 42° | 36° | 2.8 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Mar | 50° | 43° | 3.8 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 61° | 53° | 5.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| May | 71° | 62° | 5.6 | 60° | 66° | $242 | $282 |
| Jun | 79° | 72° | 6.1 | 70° | 76° | $60 | $79 |
| Jul | 85° | 78° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 83° | 76° | 5.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 70° | 4.4 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Oct | 65° | 58° | 3.0 | 64° | 70° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 48° | 2.1 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Dec | 45° | 39° | 1.6 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $242 with a heat pump, $282 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How New York compares with nearby cities
New York ranks 3 of 90 New York cities for unheated swim months; Jersey City, Bayonne nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ | 7 mi | 1 | 5 | $233 |
| Jersey City, NJ | 7 mi | 2 | 5 | $250 |
| Union City, NJ | 9 mi | 1 | 5 | $233 |
| Bayonne, NJ | 9 mi | 2 | 5 | $227 |
| West New York, NJ | 9 mi | 1 | 5 | $233 |
| Guttenberg, NJ | 10 mi | 1 | 5 | $233 |