2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Watsonville, CA

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Highlights

On average, there are 256 sunny days per year in Watsonville. Santa Cruz averages 262 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Watsonville, California gets 24.6 inches of rain, on average, per year. Santa Cruz, California gets 32.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Watsonville averages 0 inches of snow per year. Santa Cruz averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Watsonville, California
Summer High:
the July high is around 73.2 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 40
Rain: averages 24.6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

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

BestPlaces Comfort Index
Watsonville

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Watsonville is 8.6 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

8.6 / 10
August, July and September are the most pleasant months in Watsonville, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

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.

Today's Weather - Santa Cruz, CA

10 PM PST

Partly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog

53°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightPartly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog47° / 68°NNW 2 mph
Tuesday NightPatchy Fog48° / 65°WNW 5 mph
Wednesday NightAreas Of Fog49° / 66°WSW 1 to 6 mph
Thursday NightPatchy Fog48° / 68°WNW 2 to 6 mph
Friday NightSlight Chance Light Rain48° / 61°NW 6 to 10 mph
Saturday NightPartly Cloudy45° / 61°NW 7 to 15 mph
Sunday NightMostly Clear43° / 66°NW 3 to 13 mph
Today's Weather - Watsonville, CA

10 PM PST

Areas Of Fog

53°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
TonightAreas Of Fog47° / 66°ENE 2 mph
Tuesday NightAreas Of Fog49° / 65°SSW 1 to 5 mph
Wednesday NightAreas Of Fog51° / 65°WSW 1 to 6 mph
Thursday NightAreas Of Fog49° / 68°WSW 1 to 7 mph
Friday NightMostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain50° / 60°W 5 to 10 mph
Saturday NightPartly Cloudy46° / 61°WNW 5 to 15 mph
Sunday NightPartly Cloudy then Patchy Fog44° / 65°NW 2 to 12 mph
Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthSanta Cruz, CAWatsonville, CA
January62° / 40°62° / 40°
February63° / 42°63° / 43°
March66° / 43°65° / 44°
April69° / 44°68° / 45°
May73° / 48°70° / 48°
June76° / 51°73° / 51°
July77° / 53°73° / 54°
August78° / 53°74° / 54°
September78° / 52°75° / 52°
October74° / 48°73° / 49°
November67° / 43°66° / 44°
December61° / 39°61° / 40°
Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Santa Cruz / Watsonville
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 04 / 311 / 110 / 0
February0 / 02 / 111 / 100 / 0
March0 / 01 / 010 / 100 / 0
April1 / 10 / 06 / 60 / 0
May1 / 00 / 04 / 30 / 0
June2 / 10 / 01 / 10 / 0
July3 / 00 / 00 / 00 / 0
August3 / 10 / 01 / 10 / 0
September4 / 20 / 01 / 10 / 0
October2 / 10 / 04 / 30 / 0
November0 / 01 / 08 / 70 / 0
December0 / 04 / 311 / 100 / 0
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.

September is the hottest month for Watsonville with an average high temperature of 74.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In Watsonville, there are 6 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Watsonville are September, August and July.
December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Cruz with an average of 39.4°. This is warmer than most places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Watsonville with an average of 40.0°. This is warmer than most places in California.

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 Watsonville, there are 5.3 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

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 Watsonville, there are 6.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

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.

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

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.


February is the wettest month in Watsonville with 5.0 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 59% of yearly precipitation and 0% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 24.6 inches in Watsonville means that it is wetter than most places in California.

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.

January is the rainiest month in Watsonville with 10.6 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.3 rainy days. There are 63.4 rainy days annually in Watsonville, 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.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Santa Cruz, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

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

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Watsonville.

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 Santa Cruz    2 Reviews

Over 16 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

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Over 16 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

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Reviews for Watsonville    2 Reviews

Over 16 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 16 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 Watsonville

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Zips In Santa Cruz, California
95060, 95064
Zips In WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA
95076, 95019
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