The remote server returned an error: (400) Bad Request.The remote server returned an error: (400) Bad Request. 2025 Compare Climate & Weather: Santa Cruz, CA vs Wilmington, NC

2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Wilmington, NC

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Highlights

On average, there are 216 sunny days per year in Wilmington. Santa Cruz averages 262 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Wilmington, North Carolina gets 57.9 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.

Wilmington averages 0.9 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

Wilmington, North Carolina
Summer High: the July high is around 90.2 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 34
Rain: averages 57.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0.9 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
Wilmington

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Wilmington is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is one of the least comfortable places in North Carolina.

7.3 / 10
May, October and April are the most pleasant months in Wilmington, while July and August 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.

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthSanta Cruz, CAWilmington, NC
January62° / 40°56° / 34°
February63° / 42°60° / 36°
March66° / 43°66° / 43°
April69° / 44°75° / 50°
May73° / 48°81° / 60°
June76° / 51°87° / 68°
July77° / 53°90° / 72°
August78° / 53°89° / 71°
September78° / 52°84° / 65°
October74° / 48°76° / 54°
November67° / 43°68° / 44°
December61° / 39°60° / 37°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Santa Cruz / Wilmington
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 04 / 1411 / 100 / 0
February0 / 02 / 1011 / 90 / 0
March0 / 01 / 410 / 90 / 0
April1 / 00 / 06 / 80 / 0
May1 / 20 / 04 / 100 / 0
June2 / 90 / 01 / 110 / 0
July3 / 170 / 00 / 130 / 0
August3 / 110 / 01 / 140 / 0
September4 / 30 / 01 / 110 / 0
October2 / 00 / 04 / 80 / 0
November0 / 01 / 48 / 80 / 0
December0 / 04 / 1111 / 90 / 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 Wilmington with an average high temperature of 90.2°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in North Carolina. In Wilmington, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Wilmington are October, May and April.
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 Wilmington with an average of 34.0°. This is one of the warmest places in North Carolina.

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 Wilmington, there are 43.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in North Carolina.

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 Wilmington, there are 41.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in North Carolina.

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

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.


September is the wettest month in Wilmington with 7.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is April with 3.1 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 34% of yearly precipitation and 20% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 57.9 inches in Wilmington means that it is one of the wettest places in North Carolina.

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.

August is the rainiest month in Wilmington with 13.6 days of rain, and April is the driest month with only 7.5 rainy days. There are 119.2 rainy days annually in Wilmington, which is rainier than most places in North Carolina. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 22% 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.

An annual snowfall of 0.9 inches in Wilmington means that it is one of the least snowy places in North Carolina.
Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Cruz.

December is the snowiest month in Wilmington with 0.5 inches of snow, and 1 month of the year have significant snowfall.

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 Wilmington    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 Wilmington

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Zips In Santa Cruz, California
95060, 95064
Zips In WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
28403, 28412, 28409, 28405, 28401
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