Pool swim season in Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith, AR: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith
| 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 | $186 | $736 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $516 | $941 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at AR prices of 13.7¢/kWh electricity and $19/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Fort Smith
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: Ft Smith Regional Airport, 1.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fort Smith 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 | 51° | 40° | 2.5 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Feb | 57° | 45° | 3.1 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Mar | 66° | 54° | 4.1 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Apr | 75° | 62° | 5.2 | 60° | 66° | $116 | $313 |
| May | 81° | 70° | 5.7 | 69° | 75° | $37 | $112 |
| Jun | 89° | 79° | 6.6 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Jul | 94° | 83° | 6.4 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 94° | 82° | 5.9 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Sep | 87° | 75° | 5.0 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Oct | 76° | 64° | 3.8 | 70° | 76° | $33 | $91 |
| Nov | 63° | 52° | 2.8 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Dec | 53° | 43° | 2.2 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $116 with a heat pump, $313 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.6 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 20.4 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fort Smith compares with nearby cities
Fort Smith ranks 1 of 39 Arkansas cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren, AR | 7 mi | 4 | 7 | $186 |
| Farmington, AR | 48 mi | 2 | 6 | $171 |
| Fayetteville, AR | 51 mi | 2 | 6 | $143 |
| Tahlequah, OK | 52 mi | 3 | 7 | $222 |
| Siloam Springs, AR | 58 mi | 3 | 7 | $237 |
| Springdale, AR | 59 mi | 2 | 6 | $143 |