5 Reasons Why Pools in Las Vegas Are So Cold (Revealed)

When coming to Las Vegas for a well-deserved holiday, you are definitely going to want to take a dip in one of the many resort and hotel pools on offer. You might even go to a day club to start the party early. One thing you might notice is that the pool water in Las Vegas tends to be on the cold side.

Las Vegas pools are cold because the desert city has low humidity, and evaporation occurs faster when the air is dry. Water has a high thermal inertia, so even in hot climates, pools will stay cold, especially when they are cleaned a lot, like in Las Vegas.

In this article, we will discuss five reasons why Las Vegas pools are so cold. So if you are interested in knowing why you shouldn’t expect the pool water to be warm in Vegas, read on!

1. Las Vegas Is in the Desert

It’s a well-known fact that Las Vegas is located in the middle of a desert. It is part of Vegas’ appeal, but it also means that Las Vegas can get pretty hot. With average temperatures of 91.4°F (33°C) in the summer, it makes sense why there are so many pools at the popular resorts and hotels.

When you are in such a warm environment, the water in a pool will feel much colder than it actually is. Water is a great conductor of heat and quickly removes the heat from your body, causing you to feel cold, even in hot temperatures.

If you really don’t like the idea of swimming in cold water, check out this article about heated pools at The Venetian.

There are also many more hotels in Las Vegas that offer heated pools, like The Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Luxor, and Tahiti Village. For a complete list of heated pools, you can look at this article: Are Las Vegas Pools Heated in Winter? A Complete List

2. The Humidity Is Low in Las Vegas

Humidity has a massive effect on how cold or warm we feel, and it also affects water temperatures.

In cities like Las Vegas, where the air is dry and the humidity is low, the heat from the sun doesn’t have as significant an effect on the temperature of the water as it will have in places with a wetter climate and higher humidity. (Also see: Is Las Vegas Humid or Dry Heat?)

In areas with high humidity, the pool water will be much closer to the outside temperature, and the water temperature will stay constant for longer. In cities like Las Vegas, with low humidity, it takes much longer for pools to warm up, and the water loses its temperature much faster as well.

Ways To Stay Warm in a Cold Pool

Nobody enjoys being cold, not even on a super hot summer day. Sure, you might want to cool down, but you don’t want to feel so cold that you can’t enjoy yourself.

Preparing yourself and knowing how to deal with cold water will help make your swim much more enjoyable. Here are some tips for staying warm if the pool water is cold in Las Vegas:

• Warm up – Don’t just walk from your hotel room and slip into the pool. It might sound tempting, but warming up before a swim will help you stay warmer for longer. You can go for a hike or do some stretches; the type of exercise you do doesn’t matter. The goal is to increase your body temperature to make the cold water more tolerable.
• Get in slowly – Don’t just dive into the pool. Many people believe diving into cold water is better than getting in slowly, but it is not. Slowly getting into a cold pool gives your body time to adjust and will help you cope better with the cold temperature.
• Keep moving – Once you are in the pool, don’t just stand around. Keep moving so that your heart rate doesn’t decrease. This will help to prevent your body temperature from dropping.
• Wear the right gear – It’s understandable to want to show off your beach body, especially if you have been working out to drop a few pounds just for your vacation. But if you get cold quickly, a bikini or speedo isn’t going to help. However, wearing proper swimming gear will keep you warm.

Fun fact: Wearing earplugs while swimming can help you keep warm in cold water.

3. Cold Pool Water is Added Regularly Due to Cleaning

If you have ever been to Las Vegas, you will know that it is always packed with visitors. Many people want to enjoy everything Sin City has to offer, including the pools and day clubs.

With so many visitors, hotels and resorts must ensure their pools stay clean. Meaning that a large percentage of the water is often replaced if methods such as backwashing are used.

As established above, it takes a long time for water in low-humidity cities to warm up, and if new, cold water is constantly added, it will take even longer.

4. Water Has a High Thermal Inertia

Water has a much higher thermal inertia than air or even sand. When we are exposed to cold environments where the temperature is lower than 68°F (20°C), our bodies start to lose heat.

In cold environments, our bodies work much harder to stay at the right temperature, which is why we can suffer from hypothermia if exposed to extreme cold.

So, since water has high thermal inertia, it makes sense that water will stay colder for longer.

Exposing your body to cold water means your body has to work really hard to keep your core temperature between 97.1° and 101.3°F (36.5°C and 38.5°C). When exposed to cold water, your body loses heat fast, and you start to shiver.

If you want a more in-depth explanation of thermal inertia, check out this fun and informative YouTube video!

5. Rapid Evaporation

Because Las Vegas has low humidity, the water on your skin will evaporate quite fast. Water evaporates much faster in places where the air is dry.

Your body loses heat through evaporation, and since you are swimming in a Las Vegas pool, evaporation will happen quickly, meaning you will lose heat fast and get really cold.

This may lead you to believe that the water in the pool is actually much colder than it really is.

In addition, due to the dryness of the air, several inches of a pool’s water evaporates each day in Las Vegas, requiring new cold water to be added regularly.

Cold Vegas Pools – Conclusion

Now you know why the water in a Las Vegas pool might feel on the cool or cold side, even in the summer. The good news is that Vegas is quite warm during most months of the year, so lounging poolside, you will warm up quickly if you get chilled.

Pretty soon, you’ll be so hot you’ll be ready for another dip in the pool.