30-year climate normals

Santa Cruz County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — September

76.7°

average daily high. The coldest month is December, averaging a low of 40.9°F.

Santa Cruz County gets 30.63" of precipitation a year, and 60% of it falls in Dec, Jan, Feb.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Precip
January	62.5°	41.4°	6.42"
February	63.9°	42.7°	6.10"
March	66.5°	44.1°	4.31"
April	69.3°	45.7°	2.04"
May	71.4°	49.0°	0.87"
June	74.0°	51.6°	0.24"
July	74.3°	54.3°	0.01"
August	75.8°	54.6°	0.04"
September	76.7°	52.9°	0.10"
October	73.9°	49.5°	1.32"
November	66.7°	44.4°	3.17"
December	61.5°	40.9°	6.01"

Rainfall by month

Santa Cruz County has a distinct wet season. 60% of the year's precipitation arrives in Dec, Jan, Feb.

January 6.42"

February 6.10"

March 4.31"

April 2.04"

May 0.87"

June 0.24"

July 0.01"

August 0.04"

September 0.10"

October 1.32"

November 3.17"

December 6.01"

Annual total 30.63"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 180

Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 2,487

Approximate annual cooling cost At 33.25¢/kWh, California average $60

Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $289

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Santa Cruz County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County averages a high of 76.7°F in September and a low of 40.9°F in December. Annual precipitation is 30.63 inches, with essentially no snow.

When is the rainy season in Santa Cruz County?

The wettest stretch is Dec, Jan, Feb, which accounts for 60% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in Santa Cruz County?

The average daily high in September, the hottest month, is 76.7°F. That drives 180 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Santa Cruz County?

Effectively no. Measurable snowfall is rare in Santa Cruz County.

Sources

Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station SANTA CRUZ, CA US (USC00047916), 1.8 miles from the county centroid.
Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, California residential average.
Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.