Pool swim season in Portland, TX
Swim season in Portland without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Portland reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 9 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Nov).
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What each heater buys you in Portland
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $137 | $687 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $341 | $766 |
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 Portland
Solar panels + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
A solar cover alone adds no swim months here, so if you want a longer season you need a heater (why); still use one at night to hold the heat you pay for. 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: Corpus Christi NWS, 13.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Portland 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 | 66° | 56° | 3.1 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Feb | 70° | 61° | 3.6 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Mar | 75° | 66° | 4.6 | 65° | 71° | $84 | $206 |
| Apr | 81° | 72° | 5.4 | 71° | 77° | $22 | $58 |
| May | 86° | 78° | 6.0 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Jun | 90° | 83° | 6.6 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Jul | 92° | 84° | 6.6 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 85° | 6.3 | 88° | 94° | – | – |
| Sep | 89° | 81° | 5.2 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Oct | 84° | 75° | 4.6 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Nov | 75° | 66° | 3.5 | 71° | 77° | $31 | $77 |
| Dec | 68° | 59° | 2.8 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $84 with a heat pump, $206 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 46.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Portland compares with nearby cities
Portland ranks 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingleside, TX | 8 mi | 5 | 9 | $144 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 13 mi | 5 | 9 | $153 |
| Rockport, TX | 20 mi | 6 | 9 | $147 |
| Robstown, TX | 22 mi | 6 | 10 | $246 |
| Kingsville, TX | 42 mi | 6 | 11 | $351 |
| Beeville, TX | 44 mi | 4 | 9 | $196 |