2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Reno, NV vs Santa Cruz, CA

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Highlights

On average, there are 262 sunny days per year in Santa Cruz. Reno averages 252 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Santa Cruz, California gets 32.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. Reno, Nevada gets 8.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Santa Cruz averages 0 inches of snow per year. Reno averages 21.9 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

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

Reno, Nevada
Summer High: the July high is around 90.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 23.7
Rain: averages 8.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 21.9 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index
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.

Reno

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Reno is 7.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Nevada.

7.5 / 10
June, September and May are the most pleasant months in Reno, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Today's Weather - Reno, NV

9 AM PST

Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers

50°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TodaySunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers56° / 36°SW 20 to 25 mph
TuesdaySlight Chance Rain And Snow Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms58° / 37°NW 5 to 15 mph
WednesdaySunny67° / 41°NW 0 to 10 mph
ThursdaySunny74° / 48°NW 0 to 10 mph
FridayPartly Sunny73° / 48°W 0 to 10 mph
SaturdayChance Showers And Thunderstorms70° / 43°W 5 to 15 mph
SundaySunny69° / 45°NW 5 to 10 mph
Today's Weather - Santa Cruz, CA

9 AM PST

Chance Light Rain then Mostly Sunny

54°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TodayChance Light Rain then Mostly Sunny63° / 49°W 9 to 15 mph
TuesdayMostly Sunny67° / 46°WNW 3 to 16 mph
WednesdayMostly Sunny69° / 47°W 2 to 17 mph
ThursdayPatchy Fog then Mostly Sunny70° / 49°NW 1 to 6 mph
FridayPatchy Fog then Partly Sunny70° / 49°WNW 1 to 8 mph
SaturdayMostly Sunny67° / 48°WNW 3 to 12 mph
SundaySunny72° / 49°NW 2 to 10 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthReno, NVSanta Cruz, CA
January45° / 24°62° / 40°
February50° / 27°63° / 42°
March57° / 31°66° / 43°
April63° / 35°69° / 44°
May72° / 43°73° / 48°
June82° / 50°76° / 51°
July91° / 56°77° / 53°
August89° / 54°78° / 53°
September81° / 47°78° / 52°
October68° / 38°74° / 48°
November54° / 30°67° / 43°
December45° / 24°61° / 39°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Reno / Santa Cruz
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 026 / 47 / 113 / 0
February0 / 021 / 27 / 113 / 0
March0 / 017 / 16 / 102 / 0
April0 / 110 / 04 / 61 / 0
May1 / 13 / 04 / 40 / 0
June5 / 20 / 03 / 10 / 0
July18 / 30 / 02 / 00 / 0
August14 / 30 / 02 / 10 / 0
September4 / 41 / 02 / 10 / 0
October0 / 27 / 04 / 40 / 0
November0 / 019 / 15 / 81 / 0
December0 / 026 / 47 / 113 / 0
July is the hottest month for Reno with an average high temperature of 90.6°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Nevada. In Reno, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Reno are September, June and May.

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.
December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Reno with an average of 23.6°. This is warmer than most places in Nevada.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Cruz with an average of 39.4°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In Reno, there are 41.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Nevada.

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 Reno, there are 130.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Nevada.

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 Reno, there are 0.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Nevada.

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.

December is the wettest month in Reno with 1.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.2 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 42% of yearly precipitation and 11% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 8.9 inches in Reno means that it is about average compared to other places in Nevada.


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.

February is the rainiest month in Reno with 6.9 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 1.8 rainy days. There are 51.2 rainy days annually in Reno, which is rainier than most places in Nevada. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 39% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 13% chance of a rainy day.

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.

An annual snowfall of 21.9 inches in Reno means that it is snowier than most places in Nevada.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Santa Cruz, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.
December is the snowiest month in Reno with 6.0 inches of snow, and 6 months of the year have significant snowfall.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Cruz.

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 Reno    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 Reno

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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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Zips In Reno, Nevada
89502, 89506, 89523, 89509, 89521, 89503, 89512, 89511, 89519, 89501, 10 total
Zips In SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
95060, 95064
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