Pool swim season in Norwich, CT
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Norwich, CT?
An unheated pool in Norwich never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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Heater options for a Norwich pool, side by side
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $168 | $718 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $213 | $638 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CT prices of 27.5¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Norwich
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 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: Norwich Public Utility Plt, 1.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Norwich 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 | 38° | 30° | 1.9 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 41° | 32° | 2.7 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Mar | 48° | 39° | 3.7 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Apr | 59° | 49° | 4.9 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 59° | 5.5 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Jun | 78° | 68° | 5.9 | 67° | 73° | $109 | $140 |
| Jul | 84° | 74° | 6.0 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Aug | 83° | 73° | 5.3 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 76° | 65° | 4.4 | 70° | 76° | $59 | $73 |
| Oct | 64° | 54° | 2.9 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 53° | 44° | 2.1 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Dec | 43° | 35° | 1.5 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $109 with a heat pump, $140 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 34.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Norwich compares with nearby cities
Norwich ranks 7 of 21 Connecticut cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New London, CT | 15 mi | 0 | 4 | $246 |
| Groton, CT | 15 mi | 0 | 4 | $246 |
| Middletown, CT | 29 mi | 0 | 5 | $496 |
| Hartford, CT | 34 mi | 0 | 5 | $410 |
| Cranston, RI | 35 mi | 0 | 4 | $171 |
| Southbridge Town, MA | 35 mi | 0 | 4 | $386 |