Pool swim season in Salt Lake City, UT
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Salt Lake City, UT?
An unheated pool in Salt Lake City reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Salt Lake City
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $128 | $678 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $194 | $619 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at UT prices of 13.2¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Salt Lake City
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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: Salt Lake City International Airport, 1.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Salt Lake City 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 | 39° | 31° | 2.3 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 37° | 3.2 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Mar | 55° | 46° | 4.5 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Apr | 62° | 52° | 5.6 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 62° | 6.6 | 60° | 66° | $110 | $163 |
| Jun | 84° | 72° | 7.8 | 71° | 77° | $18 | $31 |
| Jul | 94° | 81° | 7.5 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Aug | 92° | 79° | 6.6 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Sep | 81° | 68° | 5.4 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Oct | 66° | 55° | 3.8 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 51° | 42° | 2.5 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Dec | 39° | 32° | 1.9 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $110 with a heat pump, $163 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.8 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 47.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Salt Lake City compares with nearby cities
Salt Lake City ranks 6 of 67 Utah cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Salt Lake, UT | 5 mi | 1 | 5 | $194 |
| South Salt Lake, UT | 5 mi | 2 | 5 | $118 |
| Woods Cross, UT | 7 mi | 1 | 5 | $194 |
| West Valley City, UT | 7 mi | 2 | 5 | $128 |
| Bountiful, UT | 8 mi | 1 | 4 | $66 |
| Millcreek, UT | 8 mi | 2 | 5 | $165 |