Santa Cruz weather in January: Santa Cruz, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Santa Cruz in January has a normal high of 63°F and a normal low of 41°F, a daily mean of 52°F, rising from 62°F on the 1st to 63°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal January, 6.42 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 17°C and low of 5°C, 163 mm of precipitation in January.
- NOAA stationSanta Cruz
- Station IDUSC00047916
- Location36.99°N 122.00°W
- Elevation70 ft (21 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population62,581
- Jan 63° 41°
- Feb 64° 43°
- Mar 67° 44°
- Apr 69° 46°
- May 71° 49°
- Jun 74° 52°
- Jul 74° 54°
- Aug 76° 55°
- Sep 77° 53°
- Oct 74° 50°
- Nov 67° 44°
- Dec 62° 41°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Santa Cruz in January?
The normal high is 63°F and the normal low 41°F, for a daily mean of 51.9°F. January is 0.7°F warmer than December and 1.4°F cooler than February. January is the 11th warmest month of the year in Santa Cruz and the wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 62°F on January 1 to 63°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 2.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 50°F and 54°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 36%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% |
| January 8 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% |
| January 15 | 63°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% |
| January 22 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% |
| January 31 | 63°F | 42°F | 36% | 27% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 29, coldest night January 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 2 | 62°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 3 | 62°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 4 | 62°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 5 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 6 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 7 | 62°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 8 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 9 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 10 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 11 | 62°F | 41°F | 33% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 12 | 62°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 13 | 62°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 14 | 62°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 15 | 63°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 16 | 63°F | 41°F | 34% | 26% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 17 | 63°F | 42°F | 34% | 26% | 10 h |
| January 18 | 63°F | 42°F | 34% | 26% | 10 h |
| January 19 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 26% | 10 h |
| January 20 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 26% | 10 h |
| January 21 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h |
| January 22 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h |
| January 23 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h |
| January 24 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 26 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 27 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 28 | 63°F | 42°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 29 | 63°F | 42°F | 36% | 27% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 30 | 63°F | 42°F | 36% | 27% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 31 | 63°F | 42°F | 36% | 27% | 10 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 63°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 41°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 6.42 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 2
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 10 h 20 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 80%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00047916; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Santa Cruz in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around January 31 (36%). In all, 6.42 in falls on 11 days of a normal January, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Santa Cruz, 2 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00047916.
What are the records for January in Santa Cruz?
The warmest January temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 84°F, on January 16, 2014; the coldest is 20°F, on January 20, 1922. The wettest January brought 19.90 in (1909).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 51.9°F: 2021 53.1°F (+1.2). 1 of 1 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53.1°F | +1.2°F | 7.54 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00047916; recent months: ACIS, station USC00047916. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Santa Cruz compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, January normal highs run from 37°F in Tahoma to 72°F in Brawley; Santa Cruz's is 63°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Santa Cruz in December62°F by day, 41°F at night
- Santa Cruz in February64°F by day, 43°F at night
- Santa Cruz through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in JanuaryThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Brawley: California's warmest Januarynormal high 72°F