Pool swim season in Sioux Falls, SD

Sioux Falls, SD: how long the pool season really is

An unheated pool in Sioux Falls never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Jul. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).

1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D

What each heater buys you in Sioux Falls

For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at SD prices of 14.6¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.

The cheapest way to the full season in Sioux Falls

Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 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: Sioux Falls NWS Office Airport, 3.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.

Sioux Falls month by month: air, sun and pool water

Heating costs most in Jun (about $48 with a heat pump, $69 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 19.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.

How Sioux Falls compares with nearby cities

Sioux Falls ranks 5 of 14 South Dakota cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.