Pool swim season in Salem, VA
Salem, VA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Salem reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 6 swimmable months with a heater (May to Oct).
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Heater options for a Salem pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $198 | $748 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $382 | $807 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at VA prices of 16.9¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Salem
Solar panels + cover: 5 of 6 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, 5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Salem 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 | 47° | 38° | 2.2 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Feb | 51° | 41° | 2.9 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Mar | 59° | 48° | 3.9 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 58° | 5.1 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| May | 77° | 66° | 5.6 | 65° | 71° | $91 | $183 |
| Jun | 84° | 74° | 6.1 | 73° | 79° | $8 | $18 |
| Jul | 88° | 78° | 5.9 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 87° | 76° | 5.3 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 70° | 4.4 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Oct | 70° | 59° | 3.4 | 65° | 71° | $99 | $181 |
| Nov | 59° | 48° | 2.6 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Dec | 50° | 41° | 1.9 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Oct (about $99 with a heat pump, $181 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 46.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Salem compares with nearby cities
Salem ranks 20 of 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke, VA | 5 mi | 2 | 6 | $195 |
| Blacksburg, VA | 21 mi | 0 | 5 | $298 |
| Christiansburg, VA | 22 mi | 0 | 5 | $286 |
| Radford, VA | 30 mi | 0 | 5 | $258 |
| Martinsville, VA | 43 mi | 0 | 7 | $510 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 48 mi | 0 | 5 | $182 |