Pool swim season in Steamboat Springs, CO
Swim season in Steamboat Springs without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Steamboat Springs never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 67°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Steamboat Springs
| 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 | 4 | Jun to Sep | $479 | $1,029 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $586 | $1,011 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CO prices of 16.8¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Steamboat Springs
Gas heater + cover: 4 of 4 possible months for about $1,011 a year all-in, which works out near $253 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: Steamboat Springs, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Steamboat Springs 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 | 29° | 17° | 2.4 | 17° | 23° | – | – |
| Feb | 34° | 21° | 3.3 | 19° | 25° | – | – |
| Mar | 45° | 31° | 4.8 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
| Apr | 54° | 41° | 5.6 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| May | 65° | 50° | 6.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Jun | 76° | 58° | 7.5 | 58° | 64° | $171 | $206 |
| Jul | 83° | 65° | 7.0 | 65° | 71° | $87 | $116 |
| Aug | 82° | 63° | 6.1 | 67° | 73° | $73 | $94 |
| Sep | 74° | 55° | 5.2 | 61° | 67° | $148 | $170 |
| Oct | 59° | 43° | 3.6 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Nov | 43° | 30° | 2.5 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Dec | 30° | 18° | 2.0 | 23° | 29° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $171 with a heat pump, $206 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 27.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Steamboat Springs compares with nearby cities
Steamboat Springs ranks 53 of 53 Colorado cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 70 mi | 0 | 5 | $416 |
| Rifle, CO | 82 mi | 0 | 5 | $470 |
| Laramie, WY | 86 mi | 0 | 4 | $452 |
| Boulder, CO | 89 mi | 0 | 5 | $328 |
| Fort Collins, CO | 92 mi | 0 | 5 | $318 |
| Loveland, CO | 93 mi | 0 | 5 | $393 |