Select units of measurement for the temperature and rainfall tables (metric or imperial).
Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours

The climate of Santa Cruz is
sub-tropical, with mild, rainy winters and quite warm, sunny summers.
The city is located on the
California coast, 100 km (60 mi) southeast of San Francisco, in the northern part of Monterey Bay. Here, and in the nearby town of Watsonville, the weather is a bit warmer in summer than in other coastal cities, because the mountains to the north partially protect it from the wind blowing from the ocean. However, even here, in summer it can be a bit cold at night, also, morning mists can form.
On the
hottest days of the year, the temperature can reach or exceed 35 °C (95 °F), when the wind blows from the desert. This can also happen in September and October.
In
winter, the rains are more abundant than in other coastal areas of California due to the proximity of the mountains.
Best Time
Santa Cruz can be visited from May to mid-October, since it is a mild and sunny period. However, there may be morning fogs.
Santa Cruz - Climate data
In Santa Cruz, the
average temperature of the coldest month (December) is of
10.7 °C, that of the warmest month (August) is of
18.4 °C. Here are the average temperatures.
Santa Cruz - Average temperatures (1991-2020) |
Month | Min | Max | Mean |
---|
January | 5.2 | 16.9 | 11.1 |
---|
February | 5.9 | 17.7 | 11.8 |
---|
March | 6.7 | 19.2 | 12.9 |
---|
April | 7.6 | 20.7 | 14.2 |
---|
May | 9.4 | 21.9 | 15.7 |
---|
June | 10.9 | 23.3 | 17.1 |
---|
July | 12.4 | 23.5 | 17.9 |
---|
August | 12.6 | 24.3 | 18.4 |
---|
September | 11.6 | 24.8 | 18.2 |
---|
October | 9.7 | 23.3 | 16.5 |
---|
November | 6.9 | 19.3 | 13.1 |
---|
December | 4.9 | 16.4 | 10.7 |
---|
Year | 8.7 | 21 | 14.8 |
---|
Precipitation amounts to
780 millimeters per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from
0 millimeters in the driest months (July, August) to
165 millimeters in the wettest one (January). Here is the average precipitation.
Santa Cruz - Average precipitationMonth | Days |
---|
January | 165 | 11 |
---|
February | 155 | 11 |
---|
March | 110 | 10 |
---|
April | 50 | 6 |
---|
May | 20 | 4 |
---|
June | 5 | 1 |
---|
July | 0 | 1 |
---|
August | 0 | 1 |
---|
September | 5 | 1 |
---|
October | 35 | 4 |
---|
November | 80 | 7 |
---|
December | 155 | 10 |
---|
Year | 780 | 65 |
---|
The
sea temperature ranges from
12.5 °C in February, March, April to
16 °C in September. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Santa Cruz - Sea temperatureMonth |
---|
January | 13 |
---|
February | 12.5 |
---|
March | 12.5 |
---|
April | 12.5 |
---|
May | 13 |
---|
June | 13.5 |
---|
July | 14.5 |
---|
August | 15.5 |
---|
September | 16 |
---|
October | 15.5 |
---|
November | 14.5"> |
---|
December | 13.5 |
---|
Year | 13.9 |
---|