Pool swim season in Pine Bluff, AR
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Pine Bluff, AR?
An unheated pool in Pine Bluff 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 Pine Bluff
| 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 | $164 | $714 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $458 | $883 |
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 Pine Bluff
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: Pine Bluff, 1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Pine Bluff 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 | 52° | 43° | 2.5 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
| Feb | 56° | 46° | 3.0 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| Mar | 65° | 54° | 4.2 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Apr | 74° | 63° | 5.3 | 61° | 67° | $108 | $294 |
| May | 82° | 72° | 5.8 | 70° | 76° | $29 | $89 |
| Jun | 89° | 79° | 6.5 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Jul | 92° | 82° | 6.3 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 82° | 5.8 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 86° | 76° | 5.0 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Oct | 76° | 64° | 3.8 | 71° | 77° | $27 | $75 |
| Nov | 63° | 53° | 2.8 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Dec | 55° | 45° | 2.3 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $108 with a heat pump, $294 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 54.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Pine Bluff compares with nearby cities
Pine Bluff ranks 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant, AR | 39 mi | 4 | 7 | $183 |
| Little Rock, AR | 40 mi | 3 | 7 | $205 |
| Benton, AR | 40 mi | 4 | 7 | $183 |
| North Little Rock, AR | 41 mi | 3 | 7 | $205 |
| Sherwood, AR | 46 mi | 3 | 7 | $199 |
| Jacksonville, AR | 46 mi | 3 | 7 | $199 |