Pool swim season in Baker City, OR
Swim season in Baker City without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Baker City never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 72°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Baker City
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 0 | no month | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $260 | $810 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $541 | $966 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at OR prices of 15.5¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Baker City
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 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: Baker City Airport, 4.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Baker City 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 | 38° | 29° | 1.5 | 27° | 33° | – | – |
| Feb | 44° | 34° | 2.5 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 41° | 3.8 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Apr | 61° | 46° | 5.5 | 46° | 52° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 54° | 6.5 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Jun | 77° | 61° | 7.3 | 62° | 68° | $117 | $238 |
| Jul | 88° | 69° | 7.7 | 69° | 75° | $40 | $92 |
| Aug | 88° | 68° | 6.6 | 72° | 78° | $20 | $45 |
| Sep | 79° | 59° | 5.0 | 65° | 71° | $83 | $166 |
| Oct | 64° | 47° | 3.3 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Nov | 48° | 36° | 1.9 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Dec | 37° | 29° | 1.2 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $117 with a heat pump, $238 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 7.7 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Baker City compares with nearby cities
Baker City ranks 24 of 57 Oregon cities for unheated swim months; Ontario, Walla Walla, Middleton nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Grande, OR | 40 mi | 0 | 4 | $200 |
| Ontario, OR | 67 mi | 1 | 5 | $218 |
| Pendleton, OR | 79 mi | 0 | 5 | $259 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 93 mi | 1 | 5 | $187 |
| Middleton, ID | 95 mi | 1 | 5 | $200 |
| Caldwell, ID | 97 mi | 1 | 5 | $200 |