Pool swim season in Palm Desert, CA

When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Palm Desert, CA?

An unheated pool in Palm Desert reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 11 swimmable months with a heater (Jan to Nov).

1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D

What each heater buys you in Palm Desert

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 Palm Desert

Heat pump + cover: 11 of 11 possible months for about $1,251 a year all-in, which works out near $250 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: Indio Fire Station, 8.8 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.

Palm Desert month by month: air, sun and pool water

Heating costs most in Jan (about $326 with a heat pump, $404 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 29.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.

How Palm Desert compares with nearby cities

Palm Desert ranks 4 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.