Pool swim season in State College, PA
Swim season in State College without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in State College never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 74°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
What each heater buys you in State College
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $174 | $724 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $254 | $679 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at PA prices of 21.1¢/kWh electricity and $15/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in State College
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: State College, 0.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
State College 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 | 34° | 27° | 1.8 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Feb | 37° | 29° | 2.6 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Mar | 46° | 37° | 3.6 | 34° | 40° | – | – |
| Apr | 59° | 49° | 4.7 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| May | 69° | 60° | 5.3 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Jun | 77° | 68° | 5.9 | 67° | 73° | $83 | $124 |
| Jul | 81° | 72° | 5.9 | 73° | 79° | $10 | $16 |
| Aug | 79° | 70° | 5.2 | 74° | 80° | $6 | $9 |
| Sep | 72° | 63° | 4.2 | 68° | 74° | $75 | $105 |
| Oct | 61° | 52° | 2.9 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Nov | 49° | 41° | 2.1 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| Dec | 38° | 32° | 1.5 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $83 with a heat pump, $124 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 5.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 44.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How State College compares with nearby cities
State College ranks 54 of 68 Pennsylvania cities for unheated swim months; Mechanicsburg nearby gets a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona, PA | 35 mi | 0 | 4 | $212 |
| Williamsport, PA | 53 mi | 0 | 5 | $304 |
| Carlisle, PA | 53 mi | 0 | 5 | $325 |
| St. Marys, PA | 57 mi | 0 | 4 | $441 |
| Mechanicsburg, PA | 60 mi | 2 | 5 | $195 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 60 mi | 0 | 5 | $274 |