Pool swim season in Shreveport, LA
Shreveport, LA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Shreveport reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 8 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Oct).
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Heater options for a Shreveport pool, side by side
| 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 | 8 | Mar to Oct | $221 | $771 |
| Gas heater + cover | 8 | Mar to Oct | $555 | $980 |
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 Shreveport
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 8 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 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: Shreveport, 3.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Shreveport 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 | 58° | 48° | 2.7 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Feb | 63° | 52° | 3.1 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Mar | 70° | 59° | 4.3 | 57° | 63° | $144 | $348 |
| Apr | 78° | 66° | 5.4 | 65° | 71° | $69 | $184 |
| May | 85° | 74° | 6.0 | 73° | 79° | $7 | $21 |
| Jun | 91° | 81° | 6.4 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jul | 94° | 84° | 6.3 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Aug | 95° | 84° | 5.9 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 90° | 78° | 5.1 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Oct | 79° | 67° | 4.1 | 74° | 80° | $1 | $2 |
| Nov | 68° | 57° | 3.0 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Dec | 60° | 50° | 2.4 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $144 with a heat pump, $348 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 27.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Shreveport compares with nearby cities
Shreveport ranks 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bossier City, LA | 9 mi | 4 | 8 | $202 |
| Minden, LA | 32 mi | 4 | 7 | $109 |
| Marshall, TX | 33 mi | 4 | 7 | $161 |
| Longview, TX | 57 mi | 4 | 8 | $277 |
| Henderson, TX | 62 mi | 4 | 7 | $125 |
| Kilgore, TX | 62 mi | 4 | 7 | $106 |