Pool swim season in Portales, NM
Swim season in Portales without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Portales reaches 78°F in Jun to Aug, about 3 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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Heater options for a Portales pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 3 | Jun to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $244 | $794 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $298 | $723 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NM prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Portales
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 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 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: Portales, 0.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Portales 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 | 55° | 40° | 3.4 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Feb | 61° | 45° | 4.2 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Mar | 69° | 52° | 5.5 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Apr | 77° | 60° | 6.9 | 60° | 66° | $137 | $163 |
| May | 85° | 69° | 7.5 | 69° | 75° | $45 | $60 |
| Jun | 93° | 78° | 7.9 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Jul | 93° | 80° | 7.4 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 78° | 6.7 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 85° | 71° | 5.7 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Oct | 76° | 60° | 4.6 | 67° | 73° | $62 | $75 |
| Nov | 63° | 48° | 3.6 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Dec | 55° | 40° | 2.9 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $137 with a heat pump, $163 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 38.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Portales compares with nearby cities
Portales ranks 9 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months; Lovington nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clovis, NM | 20 mi | 2 | 7 | $301 |
| Levelland, TX | 70 mi | 2 | 7 | $281 |
| Hereford, TX | 70 mi | 2 | 7 | $359 |
| Lovington, NM | 85 mi | 4 | 8 | $347 |
| Roswell, NM | 87 mi | 2 | 7 | $269 |
| Plainview, TX | 93 mi | 2 | 7 | $285 |