Pool swim season in Southgate, MI
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Southgate, MI?
An unheated pool in Southgate never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 76°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Southgate pool, side by side
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $347 | $897 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $340 | $765 |
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 Southgate
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 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: Detroit Metro Airport, 6.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Southgate 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 | 32° | 26° | 1.6 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Feb | 35° | 28° | 2.4 | 26° | 32° | – | – |
| Mar | 46° | 37° | 3.5 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Apr | 59° | 49° | 4.7 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 60° | 5.4 | 57° | 63° | $227 | $215 |
| Jun | 80° | 70° | 6.2 | 68° | 74° | $68 | $73 |
| Jul | 84° | 74° | 6.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 81° | 72° | 5.3 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 74° | 65° | 4.3 | 70° | 76° | $52 | $52 |
| Oct | 62° | 53° | 2.8 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Nov | 49° | 41° | 1.8 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 37° | 31° | 1.2 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $227 with a heat pump, $215 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.8 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Southgate compares with nearby cities
Southgate ranks 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview, MI | 2 mi | 0 | 5 | $347 |
| Wyandotte, MI | 3 mi | 0 | 5 | $402 |
| Lincoln Park, MI | 3 mi | 0 | 5 | $402 |
| Taylor, MI | 3 mi | 0 | 5 | $347 |
| Allen Park, MI | 4 mi | 0 | 5 | $402 |
| Trenton, MI | 5 mi | 0 | 5 | $347 |