Pool swim season in Salisbury, MD
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Salisbury, MD?
An unheated pool in Salisbury 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 Salisbury 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 | $223 | $773 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $332 | $757 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MD prices of 21.3¢/kWh electricity and $16/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Salisbury
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 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: Salisbury, 0.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Salisbury 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 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Feb | 50° | 40° | 3.0 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Mar | 58° | 47° | 4.0 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Apr | 69° | 58° | 5.2 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| May | 77° | 66° | 5.8 | 65° | 71° | $115 | $177 |
| Jun | 85° | 75° | 6.3 | 74° | 80° | $4 | $7 |
| Jul | 89° | 79° | 6.2 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 77° | 5.5 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 71° | 4.5 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Oct | 71° | 60° | 3.3 | 66° | 72° | $104 | $148 |
| Nov | 60° | 50° | 2.5 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Dec | 52° | 42° | 1.9 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $115 with a heat pump, $177 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 15.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Salisbury compares with nearby cities
Salisbury ranks 7 of 23 Maryland cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MD | 29 mi | 2 | 5 | $125 |
| Milford, DE | 38 mi | 1 | 5 | $182 |
| Easton, MD | 38 mi | 2 | 5 | $125 |
| Dover, DE | 54 mi | 2 | 5 | $139 |
| Smyrna, DE | 64 mi | 2 | 5 | $139 |
| Annapolis, MD | 64 mi | 2 | 5 | $105 |