Santa Cruz in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), Santa Cruz sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 18 mm of rain over about 3 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels dry.
Summer is Santa Cruz's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 28°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 13°C
- Rainfall
- 18 mm
- 3 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 km/h
- Travel score
- 8.1
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Santa Cruz in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical summer day in Santa Cruz reaches about 28°C and drops to 13°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is January, the coolest December.
Santa Cruz weather by month
How the three summer months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 14° | 3 | 0.6 | 14.1 | 7.7 |
| Feb | 28° / 14° | 5 | 0.7 | 13.3 | 8.2 |
| Mar | 26° / 12° | 8 | 1.4 | 12.3 | 8.8 |
| Apr | 21° / 9° | 41 | 3.4 | 11.2 | 7.8 |
| May | 17° / 7° | 115 | 7 | 10.2 | 5.6 |
| Jun | 14° / 5° | 195 | 10.2 | 9.7 | 3.9 |
| Jul | 14° / 4° | 130 | 8.8 | 9.9 | 4.0 |
| Aug | 15° / 5° | 108 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 4.9 |
| Sep | 18° / 7° | 58 | 5.8 | 11.8 | 6.4 |
| Oct | 21° / 8° | 35 | 4.2 | 12.9 | 7.5 |
| Nov | 25° / 10° | 13 | 2.2 | 13.8 | 8.6 |
| Dec | 27° / 12° | 10 | 1.3 | 14.3 | 8.5 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Santa Cruz gets around 18 mm of rain over 3 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 7 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 14 h 12 min in early December to 12 h 54 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 8.4 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz
None of Santa Cruz's seasonal hazards peak in summer. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Santa Cruz's rainy season runs May–August, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Santa Cruz?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is one of the better times to visit Santa Cruz for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Santa Cruz in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Santa Cruz sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 13°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Santa Cruz in Summer
The nearest coast averages about 15°C across summer — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 69 km away) is warmest in February at about 16°C and coldest in August near 12°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Cool |
| Feb | 16 | Cool |
| Mar | 16 | Cool |
| Apr | 15 | Bracing |
| May | 14 | Bracing |
| Jun | 13 | Bracing |
| Jul | 13 | Bracing |
| Aug | 12 | Bracing |
| Sep | 13 | Bracing |
| Oct | 13 | Bracing |
| Nov | 14 | Bracing |
| Dec | 15 | Bracing |
UV index in Santa Cruz in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Cruz peaks around January 16 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 15 at about 2 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 13 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Extreme |
| Feb | 12 | Extreme |
| Mar | 10 | Very high |
| Apr | 5 | High |
| May | 3 | Moderate |
| Jun | 2 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4 | Moderate |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Air quality in Santa Cruz in Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Santa Cruz is worst in May — around 41 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.1× the cleanest month (November, 19 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 34 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 41 | 37 | 37 | 35 | 32 | 24 | 19 | 19 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | Moderate |
| Feb | 22 | Moderate |
| Mar | 22 | Moderate |
| Apr | 29 | Moderate |
| May | 41 | Poor |
| Jun | 37 | Poor |
| Jul | 37 | Poor |
| Aug | 35 | Moderate |
| Sep | 32 | Moderate |
| Oct | 24 | Moderate |
| Nov | 19 | Moderate |
| Dec | 19 | Moderate |
Where is Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz sits at 34.6°S, 71.4°W, 174 m above sea level, in Chile. The nearest listed city is Chimbarongo, 31 km away.
Topography around Santa Cruz
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Santa Cruz.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Santa Cruz has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 35 m around an average of 164 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,083 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,840 m.
The land around Santa Cruz is covered by cropland (41%) and trees (25%) within 3 km, trees (32%) and cropland (31%) within 16 km, and trees (36%) and grassland (28%) within 80 km.
Chile travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / F / L
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 48% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $17,995
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.3 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 6.3
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 14.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 517
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Santa Cruz (-34.6388°, -71.3658°, elevation 174 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.