2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Fresno, CA

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Highlights

On average, there are 271 sunny days per year in Fresno. Santa Cruz averages 262 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Fresno, California gets 12.6 inches of rain, on average, per year. Santa Cruz, California gets 32.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Fresno averages 0 inches of snow per year. Santa Cruz averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Fresno, California
Summer High: the July high is around 97.7 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 37.9
Rain: averages 12.6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Santa Cruz, California
Summer High: the July high is around 77.4 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 39.5
Rain: averages 32.5 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index
Fresno

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Fresno is 8.0 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in California.

8 / 10
October, May and April are the most pleasant months in Fresno, while July and January are the least comfortable months.

Santa Cruz

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Santa Cruz is 8.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

8.5 / 10
August, July and September are the most pleasant months in Santa Cruz, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Today's Weather - Santa Cruz, CA

4 AM PST

Mostly Clear

54°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightMostly Clear53° / 82°NNE 2 mph
Friday NightMostly Clear56° / 80°N 5 mph
Saturday NightMostly Clear51° / 69°NW 2 to 8 mph
Sunday NightPartly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain48° / 63°W 2 to 9 mph
Monday NightMostly Cloudy47° / 64°WNW 3 to 9 mph
Tuesday NightPartly Cloudy46° / 66°NW 2 to 10 mph
Wednesday NightPartly Cloudy then Patchy Fog47° / 67°NW 2 to 8 mph
Today's Weather - Fresno, CA

4 AM PST

Clear

65°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightClear63° / 97°NW 5 mph
Friday NightMostly Clear65° / 98°NW 5 mph
Saturday NightMostly Clear64° / 89°NW 5 to 10 mph
Sunday NightMostly Clear53° / 77°NW 5 to 10 mph
Monday NightSlight Chance Light Rain52° / 71°WNW 5 to 10 mph
Tuesday NightMostly Clear51° / 79°NW 5 mph
Wednesday NightMostly Clear55° / 84°NW 5 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthSanta Cruz, CAFresno, CA
January62° / 40°55° / 38°
February63° / 42°62° / 41°
March66° / 43°68° / 45°
April69° / 44°75° / 48°
May73° / 48°84° / 54°
June76° / 51°92° / 60°
July77° / 53°98° / 66°
August78° / 53°97° / 64°
September78° / 52°91° / 60°
October74° / 48°80° / 52°
November67° / 43°66° / 43°
December61° / 39°56° / 38°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Santa Cruz / Fresno
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 04 / 611 / 80 / 0
February0 / 02 / 211 / 80 / 0
March0 / 01 / 010 / 80 / 0
April1 / 20 / 06 / 40 / 0
May1 / 80 / 04 / 20 / 0
June2 / 190 / 01 / 10 / 0
July3 / 280 / 00 / 00 / 0
August3 / 270 / 01 / 00 / 0
September4 / 180 / 01 / 10 / 0
October2 / 40 / 04 / 30 / 0
November0 / 01 / 18 / 50 / 0
December0 / 04 / 611 / 80 / 0
September is the hottest month for Santa Cruz with an average high temperature of 78.2°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In Santa Cruz, there are 6 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Santa Cruz are August, September and July.

July is the hottest month for Fresno with an average high temperature of 97.7°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in California. In Fresno, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Fresno are October, April and May.
December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Cruz with an average of 39.4°. This is warmer than most places in California.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Fresno with an average of 37.5°. This is about average compared to other places in California.

In Santa Cruz, there are 14.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

In Fresno, there are 105.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in California.

In Santa Cruz, there are 12.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Fresno, there are 14.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Santa Cruz, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Fresno, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

February is the wettest month in Santa Cruz with 6.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 59% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 32.5 inches in Santa Cruz means that it is wetter than most places in California.


March is the wettest month in Fresno with 2.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 51% of yearly precipitation and 2% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 12.6 inches in Fresno means that it is drier than most places in California.

February is the rainiest month in Santa Cruz with 11.2 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.3 rainy days. There are 68.5 rainy days annually in Santa Cruz, which is rainier than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 49% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 3% chance of a rainy day.

February is the rainiest month in Fresno with 8.2 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.2 rainy days. There are 48.2 rainy days annually in Fresno, which is about average compared to other places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 50% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 3% chance of a rainy day.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Santa Cruz, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Fresno, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.
Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Cruz.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Fresno.

DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.

Reviews for Santa Cruz    2 Reviews
Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA
re:
Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply
NC For Me · Apex, NC
re:
Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Santa Cruz

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Reviews for Fresno    2 Reviews
Jill · Sherman Oaks, CA
re:
Over 16 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply
NC For Me · Apex, NC
re:
Over 16 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Fresno

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Zips In Santa Cruz, California
95060, 95064
Zips In FRESNO, CALIFORNIA
93722, 93727, 93720, 93702, 93726, 93706, 93705, 93711, 93703, 93710, 18 total
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