Pool swim season in Blythe, CA
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Blythe, CA?
An unheated pool in Blythe reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 10 swimmable months with a heater (Feb to Nov).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a Blythe pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 10 | Feb to Nov | $638 | $1,188 |
| Gas heater + cover | 10 | Feb to Nov | $822 | $1,247 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CA prices of 32.6¢/kWh electricity and $22/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Blythe
Solar panels + cover: 9 of 10 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 1 month 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: Blythe, 3.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Blythe 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 | 69° | 55° | 3.5 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Feb | 73° | 58° | 4.5 | 58° | 64° | $330 | $407 |
| Mar | 81° | 65° | 5.9 | 64° | 70° | $183 | $246 |
| Apr | 89° | 72° | 7.3 | 72° | 78° | $28 | $41 |
| May | 98° | 81° | 8.2 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jun | 106° | 88° | 8.5 | 90° | 96° | – | – |
| Jul | 110° | 94° | 7.6 | 96° | 102° | – | – |
| Aug | 109° | 93° | 7.1 | 98° | 104° | – | – |
| Sep | 104° | 87° | 6.2 | 94° | 100° | – | – |
| Oct | 91° | 74° | 5.0 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Nov | 78° | 63° | 3.8 | 69° | 75° | $97 | $128 |
| Dec | 66° | 52° | 3.1 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Feb (about $330 with a heat pump, $407 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 20.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Blythe compares with nearby cities
Blythe ranks 6 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | 61 mi | 6 | 10 | $304 |
| Brawley, CA | 70 mi | 6 | 12 | $1,201 |
| Somerton, AZ | 73 mi | 6 | 10 | $174 |
| Imperial, CA | 79 mi | 6 | 11 | $951 |
| Yuma, AZ | 79 mi | 6 | 10 | $174 |
| El Centro, CA | 81 mi | 6 | 11 | $836 |