Pool swim season in Palmdale, CA
Swim season in Palmdale without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Palmdale reaches 78°F in Jul to Sep, about 3 months a year. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
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What each heater buys you in Palmdale
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 5 | Jun to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $365 | $915 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $480 | $905 |
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 Palmdale
Solar panels + cover: 7 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 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 gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Palmdale, 0.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Palmdale 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 | 60° | 47° | 3.2 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Feb | 63° | 50° | 4.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Mar | 69° | 55° | 5.4 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Apr | 75° | 61° | 6.6 | 62° | 68° | $247 | $315 |
| May | 83° | 68° | 7.5 | 69° | 75° | $94 | $133 |
| Jun | 92° | 76° | 8.1 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Jul | 98° | 83° | 7.9 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Aug | 98° | 82° | 7.4 | 87° | 93° | – | – |
| Sep | 93° | 76° | 6.3 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Oct | 81° | 66° | 4.8 | 73° | 79° | $24 | $32 |
| Nov | 68° | 54° | 3.6 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Dec | 58° | 46° | 2.9 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $247 with a heat pump, $315 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 8.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 37.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Palmdale compares with nearby cities
Palmdale ranks 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster, CA | 8 mi | 3 | 7 | $476 |
| Santa Clarita, CA | 26 mi | 3 | 9 | $787 |
| La Cañada Flintridge, CA | 27 mi | 3 | 9 | $657 |
| San Fernando, CA | 28 mi | 3 | 9 | $667 |
| Sierra Madre, CA | 29 mi | 1 | 5 | $227 |
| Glendale, CA | 29 mi | 1 | 9 | $846 |