Santa Cruz reaches 100° on about 63 days a year, more than all but 118 U.S. towns
Nights in January average 48°. September is the wettest month here, with about 5.9 times the rain of February. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 96% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about January 31; in half of years the first frost comes by December 17.
A year in Santa Cruz at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Santa Cruz’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Santa Cruz’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Santa Cruz feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 321 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 31 and the first by December 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rio Grande City, TX, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Cruz’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 21 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 59 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Rio Grande City, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Cruz
16% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rio Grande City, TX.
Living with Santa Cruz’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
321 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 65% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Cruz from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Cruz and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Santa Cruz in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Santa Cruz’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz, TX | 48° | 99° | 21" | 0.1" |
| Cottonwood, CA | 39° | 98° | 26" | 0.0" |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 44° | 103° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Santa Cruz averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 51% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Santa Cruz compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Santa Cruz’s place among Texas’.
Santa Cruz weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Santa Cruz’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rio Grande City, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| February | 76° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| March | 83° | 59° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| April | 89° | 64° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| May | 94° | 71° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| June | 98° | 75° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 84° – 90° |
| July | 99° | 76° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 84° – 91° |
| August | 100° | 76° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 86° – 91° |
| September | 94° | 72° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| October | 89° | 65° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| November | 79° | 56° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| December | 72° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| Year | 87° | 64° | 21.2" | 0.1" | 59 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 72°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Santa Cruz’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Santa Cruz’s center.
- Snow: Rio Grande City, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rio Grande City, TX, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Santa Cruz’s climate
What is the weather like in Santa Cruz?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 145 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Cruz in winter?
January nights average 48°. About 6 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Santa Cruz get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Rio Grande City, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Santa Cruz?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 76°. About 187 days a year reach 90° and 63 reach 100° (Rio Grande City, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Santa Cruz?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 31 and the first fall frost by December 17, about 321 frost-free days, at Rio Grande City, TX.
What growing zone is Santa Cruz in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Santa Cruz?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Santa Cruz getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Santa Cruz.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.