Pool swim season in Show Low, AZ
Swim season in Show Low without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Show Low never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Show Low
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $205 | $755 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $476 | $901 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at AZ prices of 15.4¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Show Low
Solar panels + cover: 5 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $57 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: Show Low Airport, 1.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Show Low 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 | 46° | 35° | 3.3 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Feb | 51° | 39° | 4.3 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Mar | 58° | 45° | 5.8 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 51° | 7.2 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 59° | 8.0 | 60° | 66° | $135 | $302 |
| Jun | 84° | 69° | 8.4 | 69° | 75° | $40 | $101 |
| Jul | 85° | 72° | 6.8 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Aug | 83° | 70° | 6.4 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 65° | 6.0 | 71° | 77° | $30 | $73 |
| Oct | 68° | 54° | 4.9 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 56° | 44° | 3.7 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Dec | 46° | 35° | 2.9 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $135 with a heat pump, $302 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 49.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Show Low compares with nearby cities
Show Low ranks 43 of 44 Arizona cities for unheated swim months; Payson, Safford, Apache Junction nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payson, AZ | 73 mi | 1 | 7 | $406 |
| Safford, AZ | 101 mi | 4 | 9 | $393 |
| Apache Junction, AZ | 106 mi | 5 | 10 | $352 |
| Camp Verde, AZ | 106 mi | 3 | 8 | $433 |
| Fountain Hills, AZ | 108 mi | 6 | 9 | $184 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 110 mi | 0 | 4 | $308 |