Pool swim season in Pierre, SD
Swim season in Pierre without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Pierre never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 77°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 Pierre 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 | $99 | $649 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $136 | $561 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at SD prices of 14.6¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Pierre
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: Pierre Regional Airport, 1.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Pierre 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 | 29° | 19° | 1.9 | 20° | 26° | – | – |
| Feb | 34° | 23° | 2.9 | 21° | 27° | – | – |
| Mar | 46° | 34° | 3.9 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Apr | 59° | 46° | 5.0 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 57° | 6.0 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Jun | 80° | 68° | 6.8 | 66° | 72° | $63 | $88 |
| Jul | 88° | 75° | 6.9 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 73° | 5.8 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 64° | 4.5 | 70° | 76° | $36 | $48 |
| Oct | 61° | 49° | 3.0 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Nov | 45° | 34° | 2.0 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Dec | 32° | 23° | 1.5 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $63 with a heat pump, $88 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 19.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Pierre compares with nearby cities
Pierre ranks 3 of 14 South Dakota cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huron, SD | 104 mi | 0 | 5 | $288 |
| Aberdeen, SD | 118 mi | 0 | 4 | $173 |
| Mitchell, SD | 122 mi | 0 | 5 | $235 |
| Box Elder, SD | 138 mi | 0 | 4 | $160 |
| Rapid City, SD | 145 mi | 0 | 4 | $136 |
| Watertown, SD | 160 mi | 0 | 4 | $182 |