Pool swim season in Riverton, WY
Riverton, WY: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Riverton never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 74°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Riverton
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 1 | Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $182 | $732 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $295 | $720 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WY prices of 14.0¢/kWh electricity and $12/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Riverton
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 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: Riverton, 0.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Riverton 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° | 16° | 2.1 | 16° | 22° | – | – |
| Feb | 36° | 23° | 3.1 | 20° | 26° | – | – |
| Mar | 49° | 36° | 4.3 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Apr | 58° | 44° | 5.5 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| May | 67° | 54° | 6.4 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 64° | 7.4 | 63° | 69° | $89 | $147 |
| Jul | 88° | 71° | 7.3 | 72° | 78° | $16 | $29 |
| Aug | 86° | 69° | 6.4 | 74° | 80° | $4 | $7 |
| Sep | 74° | 58° | 5.1 | 66° | 72° | $73 | $112 |
| Oct | 59° | 45° | 3.4 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Nov | 43° | 30° | 2.3 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Dec | 30° | 18° | 1.7 | 22° | 28° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $89 with a heat pump, $147 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 53.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Riverton compares with nearby cities
Riverton ranks 3 of 11 Wyoming cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casper, WY | 105 mi | 0 | 4 | $151 |
| Rock Springs, WY | 108 mi | 0 | 4 | $228 |
| Cody, WY | 109 mi | 0 | 4 | $212 |
| Green River, WY | 118 mi | 0 | 4 | $226 |
| Jackson, WY | 124 mi | 0 | 2 | $208 |
| Sheridan, WY | 141 mi | 0 | 4 | $216 |