Pool swim season in Lawton, OK
Swim season in Lawton without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Lawton 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 Lawton
| 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 | $192 | $742 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $392 | $817 |
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 Lawton
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: Lawton, 2.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Lawton 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° | 3.0 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Feb | 56° | 44° | 3.6 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Mar | 64° | 53° | 4.8 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Apr | 73° | 61° | 5.9 | 60° | 66° | $122 | $241 |
| May | 82° | 70° | 6.3 | 69° | 75° | $39 | $87 |
| Jun | 90° | 79° | 7.1 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jul | 96° | 84° | 7.0 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 96° | 84° | 6.4 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 86° | 75° | 5.3 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Oct | 76° | 63° | 4.1 | 70° | 76° | $31 | $64 |
| Nov | 63° | 51° | 3.2 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
| Dec | 53° | 42° | 2.6 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $122 with a heat pump, $241 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 14.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Lawton compares with nearby cities
Lawton ranks 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duncan, OK | 28 mi | 3 | 7 | $196 |
| Burkburnett, TX | 38 mi | 4 | 7 | $171 |
| Chickasha, OK | 40 mi | 4 | 7 | $178 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 49 mi | 4 | 7 | $169 |
| Altus, OK | 51 mi | 4 | 7 | $187 |
| Newcastle, OK | 64 mi | 3 | 7 | $219 |