2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Half Moon Bay, CA
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Highlights
On average, there are 259 sunny days per year in Half Moon Bay. Santa Cruz averages 262 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Half Moon Bay, California gets 23.7 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.
Half Moon Bay 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
Half Moon Bay, California
Summer High: the July high is around 72.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 42
Rain: averages 23.7 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
Half Moon BayThe annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Half Moon Bay is 8.3 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.
8.3 / 10
September, August and July are the most pleasant months in Half Moon Bay, while January and December are the least comfortable months.
Santa CruzThe 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
2 PM PST
Sunny
70°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| This Afternoon | Sunny | 72° / 51° | WSW 6 mph |
| Friday | Areas Of Fog then Mostly Sunny | 69° / 51° | S 1 to 7 mph |
| Saturday | Areas Of Fog then Partly Sunny | 71° / 51° | W 1 to 8 mph |
| Sunday | Mostly Sunny | 71° / 51° | WNW 2 to 9 mph |
| Monday | Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny | 71° / 52° | W 1 to 6 mph |
| Tuesday | Patchy Fog then Sunny | 74° / 52° | SSW 1 to 7 mph |
| Wednesday | Sunny | 70° / 51° | WSW 2 to 7 mph |
Today's Weather - Half Moon Bay, CA
2 PM PST
Mostly Sunny
61°F
| DAY | DESCRIPTION | HIGH / LOW | WIND |
|---|
| This Afternoon | Mostly Sunny | 64° / 49° | WSW 8 mph |
| Friday | Slight Chance Drizzle then Mostly Sunny | 64° / 50° | SSW 2 to 9 mph |
| Saturday | Partly Sunny | 63° / 50° | W 2 to 9 mph |
| Sunday | Mostly Sunny | 62° / 49° | WNW 5 to 10 mph |
| Monday | Mostly Sunny | 65° / 50° | W 2 to 9 mph |
| Tuesday | Sunny | 68° / 50° | WSW 2 to 9 mph |
| Wednesday | Mostly Sunny | 64° / 50° | W 3 to 10 mph |
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
| Month | Santa Cruz, CA | Half Moon Bay, CA |
|---|
| January | 62° / 40° | 58° / 42° |
| February | 63° / 42° | 60° / 44° |
| March | 66° / 43° | 62° / 45° |
| April | 69° / 44° | 65° / 46° |
| May | 73° / 48° | 67° / 49° |
| June | 76° / 51° | 71° / 52° |
| July | 77° / 53° | 73° / 54° |
| August | 78° / 53° | 73° / 55° |
| September | 78° / 52° | 73° / 53° |
| October | 74° / 48° | 70° / 50° |
| November | 67° / 43° | 63° / 45° |
| December | 61° / 39° | 58° / 42° |
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Santa Cruz / Half Moon Bay
| Month | Hot Days | Freezing Days | Rainy Days | Snowy Days |
|---|
| January | 0 / 0 | 4 / 1 | 11 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| February | 0 / 0 | 2 / 1 | 11 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| March | 0 / 0 | 1 / 0 | 10 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| April | 1 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 6 / 7 | 0 / 0 |
| May | 1 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 4 / 5 | 0 / 0 |
| June | 2 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 0 |
| July | 3 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 |
| August | 3 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 0 |
| September | 4 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 0 |
| October | 2 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 4 / 5 | 0 / 0 |
| November | 0 / 0 | 1 / 0 | 8 / 9 | 0 / 0 |
| December | 0 / 0 | 4 / 1 | 11 / 11 | 0 / 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.
August is the hottest month for Half Moon Bay with an average high temperature of 72.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In Half Moon Bay, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Half Moon Bay are August, September and July.
December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Cruz with an average of 39.4°. This is warmer than most places in California.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Half Moon Bay with an average of 42.0°. This is warmer than most 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 Half Moon Bay, there are 6.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler 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 Half Moon Bay, there are 3.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most 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 Half Moon Bay, 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.
January is the wettest month in Half Moon Bay with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.1 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 57% of yearly precipitation and 2% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 23.7 inches in Half Moon Bay means that it is wetter 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.
January is the rainiest month in Half Moon Bay with 12.1 days of rain, and June is the driest month with only 2.4 rainy days. There are 83.5 rainy days annually in Half Moon Bay, which is one of the rainiest places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 42% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 9% 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 Half Moon Bay, 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 Half Moon Bay.
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
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
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
Start Your Review of Santa Cruz
Reviews for Half Moon Bay 2 Reviews
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
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
Start Your Review of Half Moon Bay
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