2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Santa Cruz, CA vs San Francisco, CA

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Highlights

On average, there are 259 sunny days per year in San Francisco. Santa Cruz averages 262 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

San Francisco, California gets 24.6 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.

San Francisco 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

San Francisco, California
Summer High:
the July high is around 67.2 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45.5
Rain: averages 24.6 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
San Francisco

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

8.5 / 10
September, August and October are the most pleasant months in San Francisco, while January and December 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

8 PM PST

Patchy Fog

57°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightPatchy Fog48° / 64°N 2 mph
Wednesday NightAreas Of Fog48° / 65°SSW 3 mph
Thursday NightPatchy Fog47° / 68°WNW 2 to 6 mph
Friday NightMostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain49° / 62°NW 6 to 12 mph
Saturday NightPartly Cloudy45° / 63°NW 8 to 17 mph
Sunday NightPartly Cloudy45° / 64°NW 2 to 14 mph
Monday NightPartly Cloudy47° / 65°W 2 to 8 mph
Today's Weather - San Francisco, CA

8 PM PST

Mostly Cloudy

53°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightMostly Cloudy50° / 54°NW 18 to 24 mph
Wednesday NightMostly Clear50° / 54°NW 8 to 13 mph
Thursday NightPartly Cloudy50° / 55°NW 13 to 17 mph
Friday NightMostly Cloudy49° / 53°WNW 17 to 29 mph
Saturday NightPartly Cloudy49° / 53°NW 35 to 38 mph
Sunday NightMostly Clear49° / 54°NW 18 to 32 mph
Monday NightPartly Cloudy49° / 54°NW 16 to 20 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthSanta Cruz, CASan Francisco, CA
January62° / 40°58° / 46°
February63° / 42°60° / 47°
March66° / 43°62° / 49°
April69° / 44°63° / 50°
May73° / 48°65° / 52°
June76° / 51°67° / 54°
July77° / 53°67° / 55°
August78° / 53°69° / 56°
September78° / 52°70° / 56°
October74° / 48°69° / 54°
November67° / 43°64° / 50°
December61° / 39°58° / 46°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Santa Cruz / San Francisco
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 04 / 011 / 120 / 0
February0 / 02 / 011 / 110 / 0
March0 / 01 / 010 / 110 / 0
April1 / 00 / 06 / 60 / 0
May1 / 00 / 04 / 40 / 0
June2 / 00 / 01 / 20 / 0
July3 / 00 / 00 / 10 / 0
August3 / 00 / 01 / 10 / 0
September4 / 10 / 01 / 20 / 0
October2 / 00 / 04 / 40 / 0
November0 / 01 / 08 / 90 / 0
December0 / 04 / 011 / 120 / 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.

September is the hottest month for San Francisco with an average high temperature of 69.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In San Francisco, there are 0 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for San Francisco are September, October and August.
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 San Francisco with an average of 45.5°. This is one of the warmest 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 San Francisco, there are 1.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest 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 San Francisco, there are 0.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest 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 San Francisco, 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 San Francisco with 4.8 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 57% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 24.6 inches in San Francisco 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.

December is the rainiest month in San Francisco with 11.7 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.6 rainy days. There are 72.3 rainy days annually in San Francisco, which is rainier than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 48% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 4% 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 San Francisco, 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 San Francisco.

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

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

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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

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Reviews for San Francisco    2 Reviews

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

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 San Francisco

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