Pool swim season in Marion, AR
Swim season in Marion without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Marion 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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Heater options for a Marion pool, side by side
| 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 | $171 | $721 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $475 | $900 |
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 Marion
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: W Memphis Municipal Airport, 4.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Marion 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 | 50° | 41° | 2.4 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Feb | 54° | 45° | 3.0 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Mar | 63° | 53° | 4.1 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Apr | 73° | 63° | 5.3 | 60° | 66° | $112 | $304 |
| May | 82° | 72° | 5.9 | 70° | 76° | $28 | $85 |
| Jun | 89° | 79° | 6.7 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jul | 91° | 82° | 6.4 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 81° | 5.9 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Sep | 86° | 75° | 4.9 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Oct | 75° | 64° | 3.8 | 70° | 76° | $31 | $86 |
| Nov | 62° | 52° | 2.8 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Dec | 53° | 44° | 2.1 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $112 with a heat pump, $304 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 42.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Marion compares with nearby cities
Marion ranks 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Memphis, AR | 4 mi | 4 | 7 | $193 |
| Memphis, TN | 15 mi | 4 | 7 | $154 |
| Millington, TN | 20 mi | 3 | 7 | $217 |
| Horn Lake, MS | 20 mi | 4 | 7 | $165 |
| Southaven, MS | 22 mi | 4 | 7 | $167 |
| Bartlett, TN | 22 mi | 3 | 7 | $217 |