Pool swim season in Fulton, MO
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Fulton, MO?
An unheated pool in Fulton never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 78°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a Fulton pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $146 | $696 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $305 | $730 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MO prices of 14.3¢/kWh electricity and $15/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Fulton
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 3 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: Fulton, 0.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fulton 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 | 37° | 28° | 2.2 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Feb | 42° | 33° | 2.9 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 53° | 43° | 3.8 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 54° | 5.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 63° | 5.7 | 61° | 67° | $110 | $224 |
| Jun | 82° | 72° | 6.5 | 71° | 77° | $25 | $57 |
| Jul | 86° | 76° | 6.4 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 75° | 5.6 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 67° | 4.8 | 73° | 79° | $11 | $24 |
| Oct | 66° | 55° | 3.4 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 53° | 43° | 2.4 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Dec | 41° | 33° | 1.9 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $110 with a heat pump, $224 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 55.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fulton compares with nearby cities
Fulton ranks 78 of 80 Missouri cities for unheated swim months; Columbia, Mexico, Jefferson City nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MO | 21 mi | 2 | 5 | $84 |
| Mexico, MO | 22 mi | 2 | 5 | $116 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 23 mi | 2 | 5 | $100 |
| Moberly, MO | 47 mi | 2 | 5 | $116 |
| Troy, MO | 53 mi | 2 | 5 | $118 |
| Washington, MO | 55 mi | 2 | 5 | $104 |