Santa Cruz, California Weather
Coastal fog thickens at dawn. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Santa Cruz weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Foggy——83°53°—
- ThursdayJun 4Overcast——81°51°-2°
- FridayJun 5Clear——65°52°-16°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——74°54°+9°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——67°51°-7°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——73°52°+6°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast——73°57°0°
PM2.5 at 13.4 µg/m³ (AQI 59) with a 0.68 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points).
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 41 now. With UV 9.6 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 37 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 41
- UV peak
- 9.6 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- partly cloudy
- Projected peak
- AQI 37
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 13.4 µg/m³ (AQI 59) with a 0.68 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.68
- Wind
- calm
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 5:52 AM
- Moonset
- 3:22 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Coastal fog thickens at dawn
Santa Cruz at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 13°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 29 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 3, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
August brings Santa Cruz its warmest temperatures (~65°F mean) while December delivers the coldest (~51°F). January sees peak rainfall at 6.4 inches, dropping to 0.0 inches in July.
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 6.4″ | 8 |
| February | 53° | 6.1″ | 8 |
| March | 55° | 4.3″ | 7 |
| April | 58° | 2.0″ | 4 |
| May | 60° | 0.9″ | 2 |
| June | 63° | 0.2″ | 1 |
| July | 64° | 0.0″ | 0 |
| August | 65° | 0.0″ | 0 |
| September | 65° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| October | 62° | 1.3″ | 2 |
| November | 56° | 3.2″ | 5 |
| December | 51° | 6.0″ | 8 |
Regional context
Santa Cruz falls within a hot-summer Mediterranean climate region, sharing similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions with nearby cities in this climate zone.
Similar climates: Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, Riverside, CA, Sacramento, CA.
Naturalist notes
Coast live oaks begin their spring leaf flush in late April, replacing winter's weathered foliage with fresh green growth.
Western bluebirds start their second nesting cycle in May, taking advantage of the warming temperatures and abundant insect activity.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Santa Cruz?
- Santa Cruz typically sees its last spring frost around mid-April, with the first fall frost returning around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Santa Cruz?
- January brings the heaviest rainfall with about 6.4 inches on average, contributing to the city's annual total of roughly 31 inches.
- What is the warmest month in Santa Cruz?
- August typically brings the warmest weather, averaging about 65°F.
- What is the coldest month in Santa Cruz?
- December usually delivers the coldest temperatures, averaging about 51°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Santa Cruz?
- Cool-season crops like peas and lettuce can be planted around the last spring frost in mid-April, while warm-season crops such as tomatoes and peppers should wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Santa Cruz get?
- Santa Cruz sees rain on about 45 days per year on average.
- What hardiness zone is Santa Cruz?
- Santa Cruz's USDA hardiness zone depends on its lowest average winter temperature. Check the USDA's online lookup tool using the city ZIP code for the current zone designation.
Climate
Santa Cruz, California experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate zone. January temperatures hover near 52°F while July averages 64°F, creating a 12°F seasonal swing.
Throughout the year, Santa Cruz receives about 31 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 45 rainy days.
Location shapes the local weather patterns through latitude (37.0°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation. These factors determine what grows here, when frost is likely, and the day-to-day weather patterns.