Pool swim season in Omaha, NE
Swim season in Omaha without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Omaha never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 78°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 Omaha
| 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 | $150 | $700 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $261 | $686 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NE prices of 12.9¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Omaha
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: Omaha #1, 6.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Omaha 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 | 32° | 23° | 2.0 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Feb | 38° | 29° | 3.0 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Mar | 51° | 40° | 3.8 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Apr | 64° | 52° | 5.0 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 72° | 62° | 5.8 | 60° | 66° | $110 | $186 |
| Jun | 81° | 72° | 6.5 | 70° | 76° | $25 | $48 |
| Jul | 85° | 76° | 6.6 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 74° | 5.6 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 77° | 67° | 4.6 | 72° | 78° | $15 | $27 |
| Oct | 63° | 53° | 3.3 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Nov | 50° | 40° | 2.3 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 36° | 28° | 1.7 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $110 with a heat pump, $186 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 45.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Omaha compares with nearby cities
Omaha ranks 6 of 16 Nebraska cities for unheated swim months; Council Bluffs, Lincoln nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Vista, NE | 6 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| Papillion, NE | 8 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| Bellevue, NE | 10 mi | 0 | 5 | $166 |
| Council Bluffs, IA | 11 mi | 2 | 5 | $132 |
| Fremont, NE | 26 mi | 0 | 5 | $162 |
| Lincoln, NE | 45 mi | 2 | 5 | $124 |