Pool swim season in Parkersburg, WV
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Parkersburg, WV?
An unheated pool in Parkersburg reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
What each heater buys you in Parkersburg
| 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 | $139 | $689 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $251 | $676 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WV prices of 15.6¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Parkersburg
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: Parkersburg, 1.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Parkersburg 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° | 32° | 1.7 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Feb | 44° | 35° | 2.5 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 43° | 3.6 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 55° | 4.8 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 64° | 5.5 | 62° | 68° | $111 | $195 |
| Jun | 83° | 72° | 6.1 | 71° | 77° | $22 | $44 |
| Jul | 87° | 76° | 5.9 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 75° | 5.4 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 69° | 4.5 | 73° | 79° | $6 | $12 |
| Oct | 68° | 56° | 3.1 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 45° | 2.2 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Dec | 45° | 37° | 1.5 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $111 with a heat pump, $195 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 26.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Parkersburg compares with nearby cities
Parkersburg ranks 2 of 13 West Virginia cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna, WV | 4 mi | 1 | 5 | $139 |
| Marietta, OH | 12 mi | 0 | 5 | $203 |
| Athens, OH | 30 mi | 0 | 5 | $273 |
| Cambridge, OH | 53 mi | 0 | 5 | $237 |
| Zanesville, OH | 54 mi | 0 | 5 | $236 |
| St. Albans, WV | 63 mi | 0 | 5 | $157 |