Pool swim season in Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Sault Ste. Marie, MI: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Sault Ste. Marie never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 68°F in Aug. The air allows up to 3 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Aug).
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What each heater buys you in Sault Ste. Marie
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 0 | no month | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $359 | $909 |
| Gas heater + cover | 3 | Jun to Aug | $354 | $779 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MI prices of 21.7¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Sault Ste. Marie
Solar panels + cover: 2 of 3 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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 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: Sault Ste Marie Sanderson Field, 0.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Sault Ste. Marie 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 | 24° | 16° | 1.1 | 18° | 24° | – | – |
| Feb | 26° | 18° | 2.0 | 16° | 22° | – | – |
| Mar | 36° | 27° | 3.2 | 22° | 28° | – | – |
| Apr | 49° | 39° | 4.4 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| May | 63° | 52° | 5.5 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Jun | 73° | 61° | 6.0 | 60° | 66° | $191 | $182 |
| Jul | 77° | 66° | 6.0 | 67° | 73° | $92 | $94 |
| Aug | 76° | 66° | 5.1 | 68° | 74° | $76 | $78 |
| Sep | 68° | 58° | 3.7 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
| Oct | 54° | 46° | 2.2 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Nov | 41° | 35° | 1.2 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Dec | 31° | 24° | 0.9 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $191 with a heat pump, $182 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 10.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Sault Ste. Marie compares with nearby cities
Sault Ste. Marie ranks 90 of 90 Michigan cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena, MI | 107 mi | 0 | 3 | $298 |
| Traverse City, MI | 133 mi | 0 | 4 | $283 |
| Escanaba, MI | 139 mi | 0 | 3 | $366 |
| Marquette, MI | 144 mi | 0 | 2 | $175 |
| Cadillac, MI | 162 mi | 0 | 4 | $382 |
| Marinette, WI | 184 mi | 0 | 4 | $288 |