Home / Select Cities / 2024 Comparing Seattle, WA vs. Santa Cruz, CA

2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Seattle, WA vs Santa Cruz, CA

Change Cities
Highlights

On average, there are 262 sunny days per year in Santa Cruz. Seattle averages 152 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Santa Cruz, California gets 32.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. Seattle, Washington gets 38 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. Seattle averages 4.6 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

Seattle, Washington
Summer High:
the July high is around 75.8 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 37
Rain: averages 38 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 4.6 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.

Seattle

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Seattle is 7.5 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in Washington.

7.5 / 10
August, July and September are the most pleasant months in Seattle, while December and January are the least comfortable months.


Today's Weather - Seattle, WA

3 PM PST

Light Rain

51°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonLight Rain54° / 47°SSW 12 mph
SundayRain Showers55° / 41°SSW 12 to 16 mph
MondayShowers And Thunderstorms53° / 41°SSW 8 mph
TuesdayRain Showers Likely54° / 42°SW 8 mph
WednesdayPartly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers59° / 44°S 8 mph
ThursdayChance Rain Showers60° / 47°SSW 6 to 9 mph
FridaySlight Chance Rain Showers63° / 47°SSW 9 mph

Today's Weather - Santa Cruz, CA

3 PM PST

Mostly Sunny

66°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
This AfternoonMostly Sunny68° / 47°WNW 16 mph
SundaySunny70° / 46°NW 6 to 15 mph
MondaySunny70° / 44°NW 8 to 17 mph
TuesdaySunny69° / 45°NW 8 to 17 mph
WednesdaySunny71° / 47°NW 8 to 16 mph
ThursdaySunny73° / 48°NW 9 to 15 mph
FridaySunny70° / 47°NNW 7 to 15 mph

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthSeattle, WASanta Cruz, CA
January48° / 37°62° / 40°
February51° / 37°63° / 42°
March54° / 40°66° / 43°
April59° / 43°69° / 44°
May65° / 48°73° / 48°
June70° / 53°76° / 51°
July76° / 57°77° / 53°
August76° / 57°78° / 53°
September71° / 53°78° / 52°
October60° / 46°74° / 48°
November52° / 40°67° / 43°
December46° / 36°61° / 39°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Seattle / Santa Cruz
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 06 / 418 / 111 / 0
February0 / 05 / 215 / 111 / 0
March0 / 02 / 117 / 100 / 0
April0 / 10 / 015 / 60 / 0
May0 / 10 / 012 / 40 / 0
June0 / 20 / 010 / 10 / 0
July1 / 30 / 06 / 00 / 0
August0 / 30 / 05 / 10 / 0
September0 / 40 / 08 / 10 / 0
October0 / 20 / 013 / 40 / 0
November0 / 03 / 119 / 80 / 0
December0 / 07 / 418 / 111 / 0
August is the hottest month for Seattle with an average high temperature of 76.3°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Washington. In Seattle, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Seattle 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 Seattle with an average of 35.9°. This is one of the warmest 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 Seattle, there are 1.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most 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 Seattle, there are 24.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest 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 Seattle, 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 Seattle with 6.2 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.8 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 39% of yearly precipitation and 9% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 38.0 inches in Seattle means that it is about average compared to other 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 Seattle with 18.7 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 5.3 rainy days. There are 155.3 rainy days annually in Seattle, which is about average compared to other places in Washington. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 33% 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 4.6 inches in Seattle means that it is about average compared to other 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 Seattle with 2.1 inches of snow, and 4 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 Seattle    2 Reviews

Over 15 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 15 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 Seattle

Reviews for Santa Cruz    2 Reviews

Over 15 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 15 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

 Most Recent Searches On Compare Climate & Weather
COMPARE COST OF LIVING
Compare Seattle Cost of Living vs Santa Cruz Cost of Living: Taxes, Childcare, Groceries, Health...
Compare Now


ZIPS IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
98115, 98103, 98133, 98105, 98118, 98125, 98122, 98117, 98144, 98109, 28 total
ZIPS IN SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
95060, 95064

LEARN MORE ABOUT SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Overview
Cost of Living
Job Market
Crime
Climate
Economy
Religion
Voting

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
Overview
Cost of Living
Job Market
Crime
Climate
Economy
Religion
Voting

PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION

Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.

Try Now