Pool swim season in Eureka, CA
Eureka, CA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Eureka never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 61°F in Aug. The air allows up to 0 swimmable months with a heater (no month).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a Eureka pool, side by side
| 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 | 0 | no month | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 0 | no month | $0 | $550 |
| Gas heater + cover | 0 | no month | $0 | $425 |
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.
Do you need a pool heater in Eureka?
No. Your pool is already warm for every month the air allows. A heater adds nothing.
No heater makes outdoor swimming practical here: the air is too cold in every month. If you want to swim at home, price an enclosure or an indoor pool instead, and see why a cover cannot fix this and where solar panels stop working.
Weather station: Eureka NWS Office Woodley Is, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Eureka 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 | 55° | 48° | 1.9 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Feb | 55° | 48° | 2.7 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Mar | 56° | 49° | 3.9 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Apr | 57° | 51° | 5.2 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| May | 60° | 54° | 6.2 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Jun | 62° | 56° | 7.0 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Jul | 63° | 58° | 6.5 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Aug | 64° | 59° | 5.6 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Sep | 64° | 57° | 4.7 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Oct | 62° | 54° | 3.4 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Nov | 58° | 51° | 2.2 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Dec | 55° | 47° | 1.6 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 44.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Eureka compares with nearby cities
Eureka ranks 375 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months; Shasta Lake, Redding, Anderson nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcata, CA | 6 mi | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Fortuna, CA | 15 mi | 0 | 3 | $560 |
| Shasta Lake, CA | 93 mi | 3 | 6 | $159 |
| Redding, CA | 95 mi | 3 | 7 | $458 |
| Anderson, CA | 100 mi | 3 | 7 | $458 |
| Red Bluff, CA | 109 mi | 3 | 7 | $448 |