Pool swim season in Wheeling, WV
Wheeling, WV: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Wheeling 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 Wheeling 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 | $197 | $747 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $345 | $770 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WV prices of 15.6¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Wheeling
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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Wheeling, 2.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Wheeling 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 | 39° | 30° | 1.6 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 42° | 33° | 2.4 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 51° | 41° | 3.4 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 52° | 4.6 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 62° | 5.4 | 59° | 65° | $137 | $233 |
| Jun | 81° | 70° | 5.9 | 69° | 75° | $41 | $78 |
| Jul | 85° | 74° | 5.9 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 74° | 5.3 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 67° | 4.3 | 72° | 78° | $19 | $34 |
| Oct | 66° | 55° | 2.9 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 44° | 2.0 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Dec | 43° | 35° | 1.3 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $137 with a heat pump, $233 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 5.9 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 50.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Wheeling compares with nearby cities
Wheeling ranks 8 of 13 West Virginia cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steubenville, OH | 20 mi | 0 | 5 | $314 |
| Weirton, WV | 24 mi | 0 | 5 | $260 |
| Washington, PA | 25 mi | 0 | 5 | $338 |
| Bethel Park, PA | 39 mi | 0 | 5 | $297 |
| Whitehall, PA | 42 mi | 0 | 5 | $299 |
| Jefferson Hills, PA | 43 mi | 0 | 5 | $299 |