Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area, CA Climate

The Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Metro Area enjoys a mild climate year-round, due to its location along the Pacific Coast. Temperatures rarely dip below freezing and rarely exceed 80 degrees during the summer months. The area typically experiences cool nights in the winter and warm summers. Rainfall is relatively low throughout the year and mainly occurs between November and April. Summers are dry and sunny with occasional light showers in June and July. Snowfall is rare but not unheard of, due to the area's elevation. Overall, the climate in Santa Cruz-Watsonville is ideal for those who prefer mild climates with plenty of sunshine throughout the year.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area, California gets 32 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 265 sunny days per year in Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 68 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 78 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 39
Rain: averages 32 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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

9.5 Summer - 7.4 Winter

August, July and September are the most pleasant months in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California	United States
	32.3 in.	38.1 in.
	0.0 in.	27.8 in.
	67.8 days	106.2 days
	265 days	205 days
	78.2°	85.8°
	39.3°	21.7°
	8.5	7
	5.2	4.3
	860 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

August is the hottest month for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area with an average high temperature of 78.9°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, there are 6 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area are July, September and August.

In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, there are 15.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area with an average of 39.2°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, there are 12.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

Humidity in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are August, July and September.

February is the wettest month in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area 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 32.3 inches in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area means that it is wetter than most places in California.

January is the rainiest month in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area with 11.0 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.3 rainy days. There are 67.8 rainy days annually in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, 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 3% chance of a rainy day.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California. Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area.

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