Pool swim season in San Rafael, CA
San Rafael, CA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in San Rafael never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 71°F in Aug. The air allows up to 6 swimmable months with a heater (May to Oct).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a San Rafael 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 | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $669 | $1,219 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $899 | $1,324 |
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 San Rafael
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 6 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $47 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: San Rafael-Civic Center, 2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
San Rafael 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° | 2.5 | 49° | 55° | – | – |
| Feb | 61° | 53° | 3.4 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Mar | 65° | 55° | 4.6 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| Apr | 68° | 58° | 6.0 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| May | 72° | 61° | 6.7 | 63° | 69° | $214 | $275 |
| Jun | 78° | 66° | 7.3 | 68° | 74° | $116 | $159 |
| Jul | 81° | 68° | 6.5 | 70° | 76° | $66 | $94 |
| Aug | 81° | 68° | 5.8 | 71° | 77° | $55 | $77 |
| Sep | 81° | 68° | 5.1 | 70° | 76° | $71 | $99 |
| Oct | 75° | 63° | 4.0 | 66° | 72° | $147 | $195 |
| Nov | 65° | 55° | 2.8 | 59° | 65° | – | – |
| Dec | 57° | 50° | 2.1 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $214 with a heat pump, $275 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 53.5 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How San Rafael compares with nearby cities
San Rafael ranks 316 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larkspur, CA | 3 mi | 0 | 6 | $674 |
| Corte Madera, CA | 3 mi | 0 | 6 | $674 |
| San Anselmo, CA | 3 mi | 0 | 6 | $669 |
| Mill Valley, CA | 5 mi | 0 | 6 | $674 |
| Novato, CA | 8 mi | 0 | 6 | $575 |
| Richmond, CA | 8 mi | 0 | 5 | $745 |