Pool swim season in Natchitoches, LA
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Natchitoches, LA?
An unheated pool in Natchitoches reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 9 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Nov).
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What each heater buys you in Natchitoches
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $266 | $816 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $667 | $1,092 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at LA prices of 13.3¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Natchitoches
Heat pump + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $816 a year all-in, which works out near $163 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 2 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: Natchitoches, 2.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Natchitoches 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 | 60° | 50° | 2.8 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Feb | 65° | 53° | 3.2 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Mar | 72° | 61° | 4.3 | 58° | 64° | $127 | $315 |
| Apr | 79° | 68° | 5.4 | 67° | 73° | $56 | $152 |
| May | 87° | 76° | 6.0 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Jun | 92° | 83° | 6.2 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Jul | 95° | 86° | 6.1 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Aug | 96° | 85° | 5.8 | 88° | 94° | – | – |
| Sep | 90° | 80° | 5.0 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Oct | 81° | 69° | 4.2 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Nov | 70° | 59° | 3.2 | 64° | 70° | $83 | $200 |
| Dec | 62° | 52° | 2.5 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $127 with a heat pump, $315 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 45.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Natchitoches compares with nearby cities
Natchitoches ranks 4 of 35 Louisiana cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, LA | 48 mi | 4 | 7 | $77 |
| Pineville, LA | 49 mi | 4 | 7 | $77 |
| Ruston, LA | 62 mi | 4 | 7 | $120 |
| Minden, LA | 62 mi | 4 | 7 | $109 |
| Bossier City, LA | 63 mi | 4 | 8 | $202 |
| Shreveport, LA | 65 mi | 4 | 8 | $221 |