SeasonMapSanta Cruz, California (Santa Cruz) weather by month
United States
The best time to visit Santa Cruz, California (Santa Cruz) is July to September — 88/100 in September, 25°C and 1 rainy day. The best season is summer, June to August (85/100 on average).
The worst month is January at 54/100 — nice, soaked, clean air. See January →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit United States →
Santa Cruz, California, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Santa Cruz, California is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
| Month | Score | Tier | High | Rain | Sun | Crowds | On |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanJanuary | 54 | D | 17°C | 10 d | 7 h | Busy | 3 |
| FebFebruary | 65 | C | 19°C | 6 d | 9 h | Shoulder | 3 |
| MarMarch | 64 | C | 19°C | 12 d | 10 h | Busy | 2 |
| AprApril | 76 | B | 20°C | 4 d | 11 h | Shoulder | 1 |
| MayMay | 79 | B | 21°C | 3 d | 12 h | Busy | 2 |
| JunJune | 83 | A | 23°C | 1 d | 13 h | Peak | 2 |
| JulJuly | 85 | A | 24°C | 0 d | 13 h | Peak | 3 |
| AugAugust | 87 | A | 25°C | 1 d | 12 h | Peak | 2 |
| SepSeptember | 88 | A | 25°C | 1 d | 11 h | Peak | 1 |
| OctOctober | 81 | A | 24°C | 2 d | 10 h | Shoulder | 1 |
| NovNovember | 68 | C | 21°C | 5 d | 8 h | Busy | 2 |
| DecDecember | 56 | D | 17°C | 9 d | 7 h | Busy | 3 |
What's on in Santa Cruz, California through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- May
- Summer fog15 May – 31 Aug (usually)Season
- Boardwalk summer season23 May – 7 Sep (usually)Season
- July
- Wharf to Wharf race23–28 Jul (usually)Festival
- October
- Monarch butterflies15 Oct – 15 Feb (usually)Nature
- November
- Winter swell season1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)Season
- December
- Gray whale migration15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually)Nature
Crowds in Santa Cruz, California in September
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsBoardwalk summer season, Summer break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Traveller notes on Santa Cruz, California
What people who have been say about the place — the year-round notes first, then month by month.
Santa Cruz's forum calls September one of the warmest and most reliable months — low-70s°F by day, chillier mornings and evenings in the 50s, with the coastal fog that plagues early summer mostly staying offshore. Regulars are consistent that it never gets tropical or humid here, just comfortably warm, making it a favorite pick over the foggier months of June and July.
Add your own note from Santa Cruz, California's card on the map.