Santa Cruz weather by month
What a typical year looks like in Santa Cruz, California: average highs and lows, rain and snow, and the warmest and coldest days on record. Normals are the 1991–2020 averages at Watsonville Municipal Airport, 22 km from Santa Cruz; records cover 1945–2026.
The year at a glance
- Precipitation a year
- 22.4 in568 mm
- Snow a year
- Rare
- Last spring freeze
- Feb 8
- First fall freeze
- Dec 5
- Heating degree days
- 2,961
- Cooling degree days
- 126
Freeze dates are medians (half of years earlier, half later). Degree days use a 65°F base; HVAC design temperatures here are 31°−1° (heating, 99%) and 94°34° (cooling, 1%).
Month by month
Santa Cruz in January
Highs average 61°16° and lows 40°5°, with 4.6 in117 mm of precipitation in a typical January.
- Record high
- 84°29° (2014)
- Record low
- 22°−6° (2007)
- Heating degree days
- 443
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Santa Cruz in February
Highs average 62°17° and lows 42°5°, with 4 in102 mm of precipitation in a typical February.
- Record high
- 85°29° (2022)
- Record low
- 28°−2° (2018)
- Heating degree days
- 367
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Santa Cruz in March
Highs average 64°18° and lows 43°6°, with 4.3 in110 mm of precipitation in a typical March.
- Record high
- 93°34° (2026)
- Record low
- 31°−1° (2002)
- Heating degree days
- 357
- Cooling degree days
- 1
Santa Cruz in April
Highs average 66°19° and lows 45°7°, with 1.3 in32 mm of precipitation in a typical April.
- Record high
- 98°37° (2009)
- Record low
- 33°1° (1945)
- Heating degree days
- 287
- Cooling degree days
- 4
Santa Cruz in May
Highs average 69°21° and lows 48°9°, with 0.88 in22 mm of precipitation in a typical May.
- Record high
- 97°36° (2008)
- Record low
- 36°2° (2022)
- Heating degree days
- 212
- Cooling degree days
- 6
Santa Cruz in June
Highs average 72°22° and lows 50°10°, with 0.18 in4.6 mm of precipitation in a typical June.
- Record high
- 105°41° (2008)
- Record low
- 41°5° (1945)
- Heating degree days
- 127
- Cooling degree days
- 11
Santa Cruz in July
Highs average 72°22° and lows 53°11°, with 0.02 in0.5 mm of precipitation in a typical July.
- Record high
- 97°36° (2006)
- Record low
- 46°8° (1945)
- Heating degree days
- 91
- Cooling degree days
- 13
Santa Cruz in August
Highs average 73°23° and lows 53°12°, with 0.03 in0.8 mm of precipitation in a typical August.
- Record high
- 104°40° (2009)
- Record low
- 46°8° (1945)
- Heating degree days
- 75
- Cooling degree days
- 24
Santa Cruz in September
Highs average 75°24° and lows 52°11°, with 0.07 in1.8 mm of precipitation in a typical September.
- Record high
- 110°43° (2017)
- Record low
- 43°6° (1945)
- Heating degree days
- 84
- Cooling degree days
- 40
Santa Cruz in OctoberThis month
Highs average 74°23° and lows 48°9°, with 0.85 in22 mm of precipitation in a typical October.
- Record high
- 102°39° (2024)
- Record low
- 34°1° (2008)
- Heating degree days
- 151
- Cooling degree days
- 24
Santa Cruz in November
Highs average 67°19° and lows 43°6°, with 2.1 in53 mm of precipitation in a typical November.
- Record high
- 93°34° (2012)
- Record low
- 29°−2° (2004)
- Heating degree days
- 304
- Cooling degree days
- 3
Santa Cruz in December
Highs average 61°16° and lows 39°4°, with 4 in102 mm of precipitation in a typical December.
- Record high
- 82°28° (2021)
- Record low
- 21°−6° (1998)
- Heating degree days
- 463
- Cooling degree days
- 0