2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Port Townsend, WA vs Santa Cruz, CA

Highlights

On average, there are 262 sunny days per year in Santa Cruz. Port Townsend averages 156 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Santa Cruz, California gets 32.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. Port Townsend, Washington gets 22.9 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. Port Townsend averages 2.1 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

Port Townsend, Washington
Summer High: the July high is around 71.8 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 36.1
Rain: averages 22.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 2.1 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

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

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Port Townsend is 7.3 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Washington.

Today's Weather - Port Townsend, WA

57°F

Today's Weather - Santa Cruz, CA

79°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Port Townsend / Santa Cruz

August is the hottest month for Port Townsend with an average high temperature of 72.4°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Washington. In Port Townsend, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Port Townsend are August, July and September.

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 Port Townsend with an average of 35.1°. This is warmer than most places in Washington.

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

In Port Townsend, there are 0.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in Washington.

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 Port Townsend, there are 38.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Washington.

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

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.

November is the wettest month in Port Townsend with 3.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.8 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 34% of yearly precipitation and 13% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 22.9 inches in Port Townsend means that it is drier than most places in Washington.


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.

November is the rainiest month in Port Townsend with 16.7 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 5.1 rainy days. There are 138.4 rainy days annually in Port Townsend, which is less rainy than most places in Washington. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 32% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 15% 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 2.1 inches in Port Townsend means that it is less snowy than most places in Washington.

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 Port Townsend with 0.7 inches of snow, and 2 months of the year have significant snowfall.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Cruz.