Pool swim season in Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Wisconsin Rapids, WI: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Wisconsin Rapids never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 71°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 Wisconsin Rapids
| 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 | 3 | Jun to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $284 | $834 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $316 | $741 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at WI prices of 19.1¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Wisconsin Rapids
Solar panels + cover: 3 of 4 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 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: Wisconsin Rapids, 1.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Wisconsin Rapids 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 | 24° | 15° | 1.7 | 17° | 23° | – | – |
| Feb | 29° | 18° | 2.8 | 16° | 22° | – | – |
| Mar | 41° | 30° | 3.9 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
| Apr | 56° | 43° | 4.6 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| May | 68° | 56° | 5.5 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Jun | 78° | 66° | 6.0 | 64° | 70° | $111 | $127 |
| Jul | 81° | 70° | 6.2 | 71° | 77° | $31 | $37 |
| Aug | 79° | 68° | 5.2 | 71° | 77° | $31 | $36 |
| Sep | 71° | 59° | 4.1 | 65° | 71° | $111 | $116 |
| Oct | 58° | 47° | 2.6 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Nov | 42° | 33° | 1.7 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Dec | 30° | 21° | 1.3 | 25° | 31° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $111 with a heat pump, $127 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 28.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Wisconsin Rapids compares with nearby cities
Wisconsin Rapids ranks 86 of 98 Wisconsin cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plover, WI | 15 mi | 0 | 4 | $281 |
| Stevens Point, WI | 16 mi | 0 | 4 | $281 |
| Marshfield, WI | 25 mi | 0 | 4 | $305 |
| Weston, WI | 37 mi | 0 | 3 | $183 |
| Wausau, WI | 40 mi | 0 | 3 | $183 |
| Reedsburg, WI | 60 mi | 0 | 4 | $200 |