Climate Comfort Score
90/100
Excellent
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 59°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Santa Cruz, CA Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 59°F
- Avg annual temp
- 90/100
- Comfort score
- 30.6"
- Annual precip
- 318d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California averages 59°F a year and scores 90/100 on the comfort index - excellent, milder than 94% of U.S. cities.
- 59°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 90/100
- comfort score, milder than 94% of U.S. cities
- 30.6"
- precipitation, annual total
- 318 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
59°F (15°C)
Avg High
70°F
Avg Low
48°F
Annual Precip
30.6"
Annual Snow
0.0"
Comfort Score
90/100
Excellent
Avg Annual Temperature
59°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
30.6"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Santa Cruz) 90.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Excellent for the Santa Cruz area.
How Santa Cruz compares to every U.S. city
Santa Cruz's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
90 Top 6% higher than 94% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Santa Cruz
MethodologyThe chart below traces how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has moved against the global mean since 1900. For Santa Cruz, the NOAA 1991-2020 normal captures average conditions across that spread - notably, the most recent decade runs warmer than the 30-year mean itself.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63°F (17°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 6.4" | 0.0" | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 64°F (18°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 6.1" | 0.0" | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| March | 67°F (19°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 69°F (21°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 2.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| May | 71°F (22°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 0.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| June | 74°F (23°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| July | 74°F (24°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| August | 76°F (24°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| September | 77°F (25°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| October | 74°F (23°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| November | 67°F (19°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 3.2" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 62°F (16°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 6.0" | 0.0" | 2.5 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 6.4"
10.6 days with precipitation
February 6.1"
10.7 days with precipitation
March 4.3"
9.5 days with precipitation
April 2.0"
6.0 days with precipitation
May 0.9"
3.5 days with precipitation
June 0.2"
1.3 days with precipitation
July 0.0"
0.6 days with precipitation
August 0.0"
0.8 days with precipitation
September 0.1"
1.1 days with precipitation
October 1.3"
3.6 days with precipitation
November 3.2"
6.9 days with precipitation
December 6.0"
10.2 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
December 13
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
January 29
50% probability date
Growing Season
318 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
2,488
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
180
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
August
Coldest Month
December
What Santa Cruz's climate means for you
Santa Cruz runs 59°F a year - peaking in August, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 318 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near January 29 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 2,488 heating and 180 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Santa Cruz, CA
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Santa Cruz, California as a location with an annual average temperature of 59°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 70°F to a mean daily low of 48°F. August is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00047916, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Santa Cruz averages 30.6 inches of precipitation a year, with negligible snowfall, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 318 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near January 29 and the first fall freeze near December 13. As for energy demand, 2,488 heating degree days and 180 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Santa Cruz scores 90/100 (Excellent), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows in the monthly tables above, summer brings August-driven heat, and winter brings December-driven cold - use that rhythm for planning. These figures are thirty-year averages rather than forecasts, so a specific year may still run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than what's shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Santa Cruz, CA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Santa Cruz, California is 59°F. The warmest month averages 77°F (25°C) and the coldest averages 41°F (5°C).
How much rain does Santa Cruz get? ▼
Santa Cruz receives 30.6 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Santa Cruz? ▼
Santa Cruz has a climate comfort score of 90/100 (Excellent), milder than 94% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Santa Cruz? ▼
Santa Cruz has approximately 318 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around January 29 and the first fall freeze around December 13.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Santa Cruz? ▼
Santa Cruz has 2,488 heating degree days and 180 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Santa Cruz climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00047916 near Santa Cruz.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00047916. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.