Pool swim season in Storm Lake, IA
Storm Lake, IA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Storm Lake never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 75°F in Jul. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Storm Lake
| 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 | $96 | $646 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $144 | $569 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at IA prices of 14.6¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Storm Lake
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: Storm Lake, 0.3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Storm Lake 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 | 26° | 17° | 2.0 | 19° | 25° | – | – |
| Feb | 30° | 22° | 3.1 | 20° | 26° | – | – |
| Mar | 43° | 34° | 3.9 | 29° | 35° | – | – |
| Apr | 58° | 48° | 4.9 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| May | 69° | 59° | 5.7 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 70° | 6.4 | 68° | 74° | $48 | $75 |
| Jul | 82° | 73° | 6.6 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 80° | 71° | 5.6 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Sep | 74° | 63° | 4.5 | 68° | 74° | $48 | $69 |
| Oct | 61° | 50° | 3.1 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Nov | 44° | 36° | 2.2 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Dec | 31° | 23° | 1.7 | 28° | 34° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $48 with a heat pump, $75 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 29.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Storm Lake compares with nearby cities
Storm Lake ranks 36 of 41 Iowa cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer, IA | 35 mi | 0 | 4 | $111 |
| Carroll, IA | 43 mi | 0 | 5 | $238 |
| Le Mars, IA | 51 mi | 0 | 5 | $263 |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 53 mi | 0 | 4 | $114 |
| Sioux City, IA | 62 mi | 0 | 5 | $245 |
| South Sioux City, NE | 63 mi | 0 | 5 | $218 |