Pool swim season in Saratoga, CA
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Saratoga, CA?
An unheated pool in Saratoga never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 73°F in Aug. The air allows up to 7 swimmable months with a heater (Apr to Oct).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
What each heater buys you in Saratoga
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $846 | $1,396 |
| Gas heater + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $1,100 | $1,525 |
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 Saratoga
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 7 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $47 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: Los Gatos, 4.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Saratoga 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 | 59° | 49° | 2.5 | 48° | 54° | – | – |
| Feb | 62° | 52° | 3.4 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Mar | 66° | 55° | 4.6 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 58° | 6.0 | 59° | 65° | $309 | $378 |
| May | 76° | 62° | 6.7 | 64° | 70° | $200 | $261 |
| Jun | 82° | 67° | 7.3 | 69° | 75° | $91 | $127 |
| Jul | 85° | 70° | 6.5 | 72° | 78° | $30 | $44 |
| Aug | 85° | 70° | 5.8 | 73° | 79° | $15 | $22 |
| Sep | 83° | 68° | 5.1 | 71° | 77° | $48 | $68 |
| Oct | 76° | 62° | 4.0 | 66° | 72° | $153 | $200 |
| Nov | 65° | 54° | 2.8 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Dec | 58° | 49° | 2.1 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Apr (about $309 with a heat pump, $378 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 7.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 49.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Saratoga compares with nearby cities
Saratoga ranks 290 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cupertino, CA | 4 mi | 0 | 6 | $651 |
| Campbell, CA | 4 mi | 0 | 7 | $739 |
| Los Gatos, CA | 5 mi | 0 | 7 | $739 |
| Santa Clara, CA | 7 mi | 0 | 7 | $550 |
| Los Altos, CA | 8 mi | 0 | 6 | $651 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | 8 mi | 0 | 6 | $651 |