Pool swim season in Odessa, TX
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Odessa, TX?
An unheated pool in Odessa reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 8 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Oct).
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Heater options for a Odessa pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $297 | $847 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $676 | $1,101 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at TX prices of 16.0¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Odessa
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 8 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 1 month here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Odessa, 0.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Odessa 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 | 57° | 45° | 3.5 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Feb | 62° | 49° | 4.4 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 57° | 5.6 | 56° | 62° | $187 | $408 |
| Apr | 79° | 65° | 6.9 | 65° | 71° | $82 | $200 |
| May | 87° | 74° | 7.3 | 74° | 80° | $2 | $5 |
| Jun | 94° | 81° | 7.7 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Jul | 94° | 82° | 7.3 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 81° | 6.8 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Sep | 85° | 74° | 5.7 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Oct | 77° | 65° | 4.8 | 71° | 77° | $26 | $63 |
| Nov | 66° | 54° | 3.8 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Dec | 58° | 46° | 3.2 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $187 with a heat pump, $408 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 44.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Odessa compares with nearby cities
Odessa ranks 219 of 252 Texas cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | 17 mi | 4 | 8 | $269 |
| Andrews, TX | 33 mi | 4 | 8 | $280 |
| Big Spring, TX | 56 mi | 4 | 8 | $310 |
| Hobbs, NM | 76 mi | 4 | 7 | $169 |
| Town of Pecos, TX | 77 mi | 4 | 8 | $259 |
| Lovington, NM | 94 mi | 4 | 8 | $347 |