Pool swim season in Fortuna, CA
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Fortuna, CA?
An unheated pool in Fortuna never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 65°F in Aug. The air allows up to 3 swimmable months with a heater (Jul to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Fortuna
| 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 | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 3 | Jul to Sep | $560 | $1,110 |
| Gas heater + cover | 3 | Jul to Sep | $731 | $1,156 |
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 Fortuna
Solar panels + cover: 2 of 3 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: Scotia, 7.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Fortuna 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 | 57° | 50° | 1.9 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Feb | 58° | 50° | 2.7 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Mar | 59° | 51° | 3.9 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Apr | 62° | 53° | 5.2 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| May | 64° | 57° | 6.2 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Jun | 67° | 59° | 7.0 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Jul | 70° | 62° | 6.5 | 64° | 70° | $195 | $253 |
| Aug | 72° | 63° | 5.6 | 65° | 71° | $175 | $230 |
| Sep | 73° | 62° | 4.7 | 64° | 70° | $190 | $248 |
| Oct | 69° | 58° | 3.4 | 61° | 67° | – | – |
| Nov | 61° | 53° | 2.2 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Dec | 55° | 48° | 1.6 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jul (about $195 with a heat pump, $253 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 31.7 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Fortuna compares with nearby cities
Fortuna ranks 367 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka, CA | 15 mi | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Arcata, CA | 19 mi | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Shasta Lake, CA | 93 mi | 3 | 6 | $159 |
| Redding, CA | 93 mi | 3 | 7 | $458 |
| Anderson, CA | 97 mi | 3 | 7 | $458 |
| Red Bluff, CA | 104 mi | 3 | 7 | $448 |