Santa Cruz climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 13.0 °C and it receives 654 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Santa Cruz?

The hottest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 2 September 2017, reaching 31.0 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Santa Cruz?

The coldest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 22 December 1990, at -0.3 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Santa Cruz?

Almost never: Santa Cruz sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Santa Cruz warmed?

Yes: Santa Cruz warmed by +0.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Santa Cruz?

The wettest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 30 January 1963, with 103 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Santa Cruz?

The windiest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 9 February 1962, with winds reaching 61.0 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Santa Cruz?

The warmest month in Santa Cruz is September (15.8 °C on average); the coldest is January (10.7 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz receives on average 654 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 55 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz gets on average 10.7 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,905 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Santa Cruz (United States) has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Csb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 13.0 °C and it receives 654 mm of precipitation per year.

These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.

The warmest month is September (15.8 °C on average) and the coldest is January (10.7 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.

Santa Cruz averages 0 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 55 rainy days per year.

Santa Cruz has warmed by +0.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.06 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 31.0 °C (on 2 September 2017) and the coldest -0.3 °C (on 22 December 1990).

Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.

Climate normals · ERA5

Santa CruzCalifornia

coords: 36.97°, -122.03°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

CsbWarm-summer MediterraneanWarmest monthSeptemberColdest monthJanuaryWettest monthJanuaryDriest monthJuly

Mean daily temperature

13.0°C

Average daily high

15.1°C

Average daily low

11.3°C

Annual rainfall

654mm

Sunshine / day

10.7h

Mean relative humidity

81%

Average peak wind

19.3km/h

Seasonal range

5.1°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

55 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

13.9 °C

Average feels-like low

9.4 °C

Average peak gust

28.6 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

0 d/yr

Solar radiation

18.5 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+0.5 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.10 · p = 0.004

19402025

Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).

A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.

Records for the period

Hottest day

31.0 °C

2 September 2017

Coldest day

-0.3 °C

22 December 1990

Wettest day

103 mm

30 January 1963

Windiest day

61.0 km/h

9 February 1962

Strongest gust

111.2 km/h

14 February 1986

Hottest feels-like

31.6 °C

2 September 2017

Coldest feels-like

-5.3 °C

10 January 1949

Snowiest day

1.1 cm

18 January 1955

Sunniest day

14.1 h

28 June 1958

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days	Frost days
2025	22.3 °C31 August 2025	6.5 °C20 January 2025	13.3 °C	559 mm	0	0
2024	27.1 °C6 October 2024	7.3 °C15 December 2024	13.4 °C	795 mm	0	0
2023	26.4 °C6 October 2023	4.6 °C23 February 2023	13.1 °C	915 mm	0	0
2022	24.9 °C6 September 2022	5.6 °C2 December 2022	13.1 °C	459 mm	0	0
2021	22.6 °C16 October 2021	6.3 °C17 March 2021	13.0 °C	615 mm	0	0
2020	27.3 °C15 October 2020	6.5 °C3 February 2020	13.5 °C	252 mm	0	0
2019	28.6 °C10 June 2019	5.4 °C5 February 2019	13.5 °C	1,023 mm	0	0
2018	21.1 °C6 July 2018	5.3 °C23 February 2018	13.5 °C	537 mm	0	0
2017	31.0 °C2 September 2017	5.6 °C6 January 2017	13.7 °C	1,011 mm	1	0
2016	27.4 °C26 September 2016	5.8 °C1 January 2016	13.6 °C	843 mm	0	0
2015	27.2 °C20 September 2015	5.9 °C27 December 2015	14.4 °C	320 mm	0	0
2014	27.2 °C3 October 2014	7.0 °C3 February 2014	14.4 °C	627 mm	0	0
2013	23.7 °C5 October 2013	4.0 °C9 December 2013	12.8 °C	138 mm	0	0
2012	24.7 °C5 November 2012	5.8 °C16 January 2012	12.6 °C	768 mm	0	0
2011	23.9 °C28 September 2011	4.6 °C26 February 2011	12.5 °C	637 mm	0	0
2010	25.7 °C24 August 2010	6.0 °C25 November 2010	12.6 °C	945 mm	0	0
2009	25.3 °C20 April 2009	5.5 °C9 December 2009	12.7 °C	709 mm	0	0
2008	26.3 °C21 June 2008	5.5 °C17 December 2008	12.7 °C	500 mm	0	0
2007	24.1 °C23 October 2007	3.4 °C13 January 2007	12.7 °C	331 mm	0	0
2006	22.7 °C22 July 2006	4.5 °C11 March 2006	13.1 °C	768 mm	0	0
2005	23.4 °C18 November 2005	6.5 °C4 January 2005	13.4 °C	776 mm	0	0
2004	26.0 °C5 September 2004	6.0 °C5 January 2004	13.3 °C	645 mm	0	0
2003	28.1 °C26 June 2003	6.9 °C28 December 2003	13.4 °C	548 mm	0	0
2002	22.5 °C9 August 2002	4.1 °C29 January 2002	12.7 °C	612 mm	0	0
2001	23.7 °C30 May 2001	5.7 °C17 January 2001	12.8 °C	797 mm	0	0
2000	27.2 °C14 June 2000	6.0 °C15 November 2000	12.8 °C	749 mm	0	0
1999	24.3 °C28 September 1999	5.9 °C11 February 1999	12.5 °C	575 mm	0	0
1998	24.3 °C4 August 1998	2.7 °C21 December 1998	13.0 °C	1,057 mm	0	0
1997	26.8 °C15 October 1997	2.6 °C13 January 1997	13.8 °C	691 mm	0	0
1996	28.9 °C8 October 1996	5.4 °C25 February 1996	13.3 °C	1,106 mm	0	0
1995	24.6 °C13 October 1995	6.4 °C17 January 1995	13.5 °C	1,005 mm	0	0
1994	25.8 °C8 October 1994	6.0 °C29 December 1994	12.6 °C	479 mm	0	0
1993	25.9 °C25 June 1993	5.5 °C3 January 1993	13.5 °C	789 mm	0	0
1992	24.2 °C7 October 1992	5.7 °C18 December 1992	13.8 °C	704 mm	0	0
1991	26.0 °C20 October 1991	6.2 °C15 March 1991	12.9 °C	653 mm	0	0
1990	23.9 °C9 October 1990	-0.3 °C22 December 1990	12.9 °C	355 mm	0	1
1989	26.7 °C5 April 1989	1.5 °C6 February 1989	12.9 °C	350 mm	0	0
1988	24.9 °C16 October 1988	4.0 °C29 December 1988	12.9 °C	423 mm	0	0
1987	30.6 °C5 October 1987	4.0 °C16 January 1987	13.1 °C	595 mm	1	0
1986	23.6 °C26 February 1986	6.0 °C9 February 1986	13.3 °C	867 mm	0	0
1985	26.4 °C3 October 1985	4.9 °C12 November 1985	12.8 °C	447 mm	0	0
1984	25.4 °C8 September 1984	6.7 °C19 December 1984	13.1 °C	476 mm	0	0
1983	27.1 °C11 September 1983	6.4 °C1 January 1983	13.7 °C	1,325 mm	0	0
1982	22.2 °C9 October 1982	4.5 °C7 January 1982	12.6 °C	1,106 mm	0	0
1981	23.7 °C29 April 1981	7.0 °C6 February 1981	12.9 °C	698 mm	0	0
1980	27.1 °C3 October 1980	4.3 °C29 January 1980	13.0 °C	653 mm	0	0
1979	25.7 °C11 September 1979	4.7 °C31 January 1979	13.0 °C	782 mm	0	0
1978	28.1 °C23 September 1978	4.6 °C7 December 1978	13.2 °C	861 mm	0	0
1977	22.1 °C13 October 1977	6.3 °C6 January 1977	12.8 °C	475 mm	0	0
1976	26.1 °C24 June 1976	4.7 °C6 February 1976	13.2 °C	313 mm	0	0
1975	26.0 °C24 September 1975	3.8 °C29 January 1975	12.4 °C	569 mm	0	0
1974	27.5 °C17 October 1974	3.6 °C2 January 1974	12.7 °C	695 mm	0	0
1973	26.7 °C27 September 1973	4.6 °C7 January 1973	12.7 °C	956 mm	0	0
1972	24.7 °C6 October 1972	0.3 °C9 December 1972	12.6 °C	448 mm	0	0
1971	27.7 °C14 September 1971	4.4 °C4 January 1971	12.5 °C	382 mm	0	0
1970	28.1 °C27 September 1970	5.7 °C5 January 1970	13.0 °C	750 mm	0	0
1969	22.6 °C31 October 1969	4.4 °C28 January 1969	12.8 °C	820 mm	0	0
1968	26.2 °C25 September 1968	4.1 °C20 December 1968	13.0 °C	552 mm	0	0
1967	27.0 °C15 October 1967	2.4 °C14 December 1967	13.0 °C	681 mm	0	0
1966	27.2 °C28 September 1966	4.7 °C2 March 1966	12.9 °C	385 mm	0	0
1965	27.7 °C22 October 1965	4.6 °C1 January 1965	13.0 °C	648 mm	0	0
1964	25.5 °C19 October 1964	5.6 °C15 November 1964	12.6 °C	637 mm	0	0
1963	24.9 °C26 September 1963	2.7 °C12 January 1963	13.1 °C	673 mm	0	0
1962	24.5 °C1 November 1962	1.1 °C22 January 1962	12.7 °C	504 mm	0	0
1961	29.4 °C15 October 1961	5.2 °C11 December 1961	13.0 °C	521 mm	0	0
1960	21.3 °C21 June 1960	4.7 °C4 January 1960	12.7 °C	639 mm	0	0
1959	27.2 °C10 July 1959	6.9 °C13 February 1959	13.9 °C	537 mm	0	0
1958	27.2 °C27 September 1958	6.2 °C16 November 1958	14.2 °C	813 mm	0	0
1957	25.7 °C18 June 1957	2.5 °C27 January 1957	13.3 °C	597 mm	0	0
1956	26.9 °C16 May 1956	2.5 °C16 February 1956	12.4 °C	299 mm	0	0
1955	22.8 °C6 October 1955	3.3 °C18 January 1955	12.0 °C	528 mm	0	0
1954	25.1 °C24 September 1954	3.8 °C27 December 1954	12.7 °C	439 mm	0	0
1953	25.8 °C4 October 1953	5.6 °C1 March 1953	12.6 °C	325 mm	0	0
1952	23.3 °C1 October 1952	4.2 °C1 January 1952	12.3 °C	800 mm	0	0
1951	25.0 °C7 October 1951	4.1 °C30 January 1951	12.5 °C	565 mm	0	0
1950	28.5 °C3 September 1950	3.1 °C3 January 1950	12.5 °C	819 mm	0	0
1949	26.0 °C22 September 1949	0.1 °C10 January 1949	12.2 °C	512 mm	0	0
1948	28.0 °C13 September 1948	4.1 °C6 February 1948	12.3 °C	729 mm	0	0
1947	24.0 °C20 September 1947	4.9 °C15 January 1947	12.7 °C	388 mm	0	0
1946	26.1 °C28 September 1946	4.8 °C11 February 1946	12.4 °C	359 mm	0	0
1945	25.7 °C2 October 1945	5.3 °C21 January 1945	13.0 °C	692 mm	0	0
1944	30.0 °C9 September 1944	5.2 °C20 February 1944	12.7 °C	702 mm	1	0
1943	25.1 °C16 June 1943	3.5 °C18 January 1943	13.5 °C	511 mm	0	0
1942	26.1 °C29 June 1942	4.7 °C2 January 1942	13.1 °C	902 mm	0	0
1941	25.2 °C5 September 1941	5.9 °C24 December 1941	13.7 °C	1,066 mm	0	0
1940	26.0 °C11 October 1940	4.7 °C13 January 1940	13.5 °C	1,147 mm	0	0

Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.

A specific year

Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

15.2 °C

+0.1 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

559 mm

-95 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	13.8 °C	+0.9 °C	12 mm	-121 mm
Feb	13.5 °C	+0.3 °C	179 mm	+54 mm
Mar	13.0 °C	-0.3 °C	108 mm	+10 mm
Apr	13.5 °C	-0.3 °C	13 mm	-33 mm
May	15.1 °C	+0.7 °C	3 mm	-15 mm
Jun	14.9 °C	-0.8 °C	0 mm	-3 mm
Jul	14.7 °C	-1.9 °C	2 mm	+1 mm
Aug	17.5 °C	+0.3 °C	1 mm	+0 mm
Sep	18.2 °C	+0.3 °C	8 mm	+4 mm
Oct	17.3 °C	0.0 °C	33 mm	+3 mm
Nov	15.9 °C	+0.8 °C	115 mm	+38 mm
Dec	14.9 °C	+1.6 °C	84 mm	-34 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

22.3 °C

31 Aug 2025

Coldest day

6.5 °C

20 Jan 2025

Wettest day

58.4 mm

13 Feb 2025

Windiest day

58.9 km/h

24 Dec 2025

Strongest gust

93.6 km/h

25 Dec 2025

Hottest feels-like

22.2 °C

23 Sep 2025

Coldest feels-like

2.0 °C

14 Mar 2025

Sunniest day

14.1 h

17 Jun 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 13.0 °C and it receives 654 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Santa Cruz?

The hottest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 2 September 2017, reaching 31.0 °C.

What is the coldest day in Santa Cruz?

The coldest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 22 December 1990, at -0.3 °C.

Does it snow in Santa Cruz?

Almost never: Santa Cruz sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Santa Cruz warmed?

Yes: Santa Cruz warmed by +0.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Santa Cruz?

The wettest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 30 January 1963, with 103 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Santa Cruz?

The windiest day measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 9 February 1962, with winds reaching 61.0 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Santa Cruz?

The warmest month in Santa Cruz is September (15.8 °C on average); the coldest is January (10.7 °C).

How much does it rain in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz receives on average 654 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 55 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz gets on average 10.7 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,905 hours per year over 1940-2025.

What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Santa Cruz?

The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Santa Cruz between 1940 and 2025 was 18 January 1955, with 1.1 cm.

Are there tropical nights in Santa Cruz?

Almost never: tropical nights (temperature staying above 20 °C) are virtually non-existent in Santa Cruz.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Santa Cruz?

In Santa Cruz, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 31.6 °C on 2 September 2017, and the lowest was -5.3 °C on 10 January 1949.

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