Pool swim season in Sunland Park, NM
Sunland Park, NM: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Sunland Park reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 8 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Sunland Park
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $333 | $883 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $392 | $817 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NM prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $10/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Sunland Park
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 8 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 1 month 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: Santa Teresa Airport, 6.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Sunland Park 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 | 58° | 44° | 3.7 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Feb | 63° | 48° | 4.7 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 71° | 55° | 6.1 | 55° | 61° | $198 | $221 |
| Apr | 79° | 63° | 7.4 | 63° | 69° | $98 | $122 |
| May | 87° | 71° | 8.1 | 72° | 78° | $16 | $22 |
| Jun | 96° | 80° | 8.1 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jul | 95° | 82° | 7.3 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Aug | 93° | 81° | 6.8 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 75° | 6.0 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Oct | 79° | 64° | 5.1 | 72° | 78° | $21 | $27 |
| Nov | 66° | 52° | 4.0 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Dec | 57° | 43° | 3.4 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $198 with a heat pump, $221 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 37.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Sunland Park compares with nearby cities
Sunland Park ranks 3 of 19 New Mexico cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, TX | 10 mi | 4 | 8 | $224 |
| Socorro, TX | 24 mi | 4 | 8 | $224 |
| Horizon City, TX | 26 mi | 4 | 8 | $224 |
| San Elizario, TX | 26 mi | 4 | 8 | $292 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 36 mi | 4 | 8 | $343 |
| Deming, NM | 74 mi | 4 | 8 | $388 |