Pool swim season in Altus, OK
Swim season in Altus without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Altus reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Altus
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $187 | $737 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $382 | $807 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at OK prices of 13.8¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Altus
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $142 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Altus Irrigation Research Station, 4.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Altus 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 | 54° | 39° | 3.1 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Feb | 58° | 43° | 3.7 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Mar | 67° | 52° | 5.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Apr | 76° | 61° | 6.0 | 60° | 66° | $120 | $238 |
| May | 84° | 71° | 6.5 | 70° | 76° | $33 | $75 |
| Jun | 93° | 80° | 7.2 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Jul | 97° | 84° | 7.1 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 96° | 83° | 6.4 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 75° | 5.3 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Oct | 76° | 63° | 4.2 | 70° | 76° | $34 | $69 |
| Nov | 65° | 51° | 3.3 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Dec | 54° | 41° | 2.7 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $120 with a heat pump, $238 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 24.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Altus compares with nearby cities
Altus ranks 3 of 45 Oklahoma cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawton, OK | 51 mi | 4 | 7 | $192 |
| Elk City, OK | 51 mi | 3 | 7 | $243 |
| Burkburnett, TX | 58 mi | 4 | 7 | $171 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 68 mi | 4 | 7 | $169 |
| Weatherford, OK | 70 mi | 3 | 7 | $241 |
| Duncan, OK | 78 mi | 3 | 7 | $196 |