Santa Cruz weather in March
In March, Santa Cruz sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 70 mm of rain across 13.5 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Santa Cruz's 2nd-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 29°
- 8th warmest
- Overnight low
- 23°
- 3rd coldest
- Rainfall
- 70 mm
- 13.5 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 54 min
- 6:07 AM – 6:01 PM
- Cloud cover
- 58%
- 2nd clearest
- Wind
- 12 km/h
- 5th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.69 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.4
- out of 10
Temperature in March
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.
A typical March day in Santa Cruz reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C warmer than February and about 2°C cooler than April.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Avg low (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | 22 |
| 2 | 28 | 22 |
| 3 | 28 | 22 |
| 4 | 28 | 22 |
| 5 | 28 | 22 |
| 6 | 28 | 22 |
| 7 | 28 | 22 |
| 8 | 28 | 22 |
| 9 | 28 | 22 |
| 10 | 28 | 22 |
| 11 | 28 | 22 |
| 12 | 28 | 22 |
| 13 | 28 | 22 |
| 14 | 28 | 23 |
| 15 | 28 | 23 |
| 16 | 29 | 23 |
| 17 | 29 | 23 |
| 18 | 29 | 23 |
| 19 | 29 | 23 |
| 20 | 29 | 23 |
| 21 | 29 | 23 |
| 22 | 29 | 23 |
| 23 | 29 | 23 |
| 24 | 29 | 23 |
| 25 | 29 | 23 |
| 26 | 29 | 23 |
| 27 | 29 | 23 |
| 28 | 29 | 23 |
| 29 | 29 | 23 |
| 30 | 29 | 23 |
| 31 | 29 | 23 |
How March really feels in Santa Cruz
Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 11 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in March is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Santa Cruz weather by month
How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 8th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27° / 22° | 93 | 16.6 | 11.2 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 27° / 22° | 69 | 13.6 | 11.5 | 5.7 |
| Mar | 29° / 23° | 70 | 13.5 | 11.9 | 5.4 |
| Apr | 30° / 24° | 62 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 4.4 |
| May | 31° / 24° | 205 | 23 | 12.7 | 3.0 |
| Jun | 31° / 24° | 269 | 27.4 | 12.8 | 2.5 |
| Jul | 30° / 24° | 379 | 29.3 | 12.8 | 2.6 |
| Aug | 30° / 24° | 317 | 28.1 | 12.5 | 2.8 |
| Sep | 30° / 24° | 344 | 27.5 | 12.1 | 2.7 |
| Oct | 29° / 24° | 245 | 25.4 | 11.7 | 3.4 |
| Nov | 28° / 23° | 181 | 23.3 | 11.3 | 4.0 |
| Dec | 27° / 23° | 250 | 22.5 | 11.2 | 4.6 |
Cloud cover in March
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in March.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 60 |
| Cloudier (%) | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 51 | 49 |
| 2 | 51 | 49 |
| 3 | 51 | 49 |
| 4 | 51 | 49 |
| 5 | 50 | 50 |
| 6 | 51 | 49 |
| 7 | 51 | 49 |
| 8 | 52 | 48 |
| 9 | 52 | 48 |
| 10 | 53 | 47 |
| 11 | 53 | 47 |
| 12 | 54 | 46 |
| 13 | 55 | 45 |
| 14 | 55 | 45 |
| 15 | 55 | 45 |
| 16 | 56 | 44 |
| 17 | 56 | 44 |
| 18 | 56 | 44 |
| 19 | 57 | 43 |
| 20 | 57 | 43 |
| 21 | 57 | 43 |
| 22 | 57 | 43 |
| 23 | 57 | 43 |
| 24 | 58 | 42 |
| 25 | 58 | 42 |
| 26 | 58 | 42 |
| 27 | 59 | 41 |
| 28 | 59 | 41 |
| 29 | 59 | 41 |
| 30 | 60 | 40 |
| 31 | 60 | 40 |
Chance of precipitation in March
Santa Cruz gets around 70 mm of rain over 13.5 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 43% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 46 |
| 2 | 45 |
| 3 | 45 |
| 4 | 45 |
| 5 | 44 |
| 6 | 44 |
| 7 | 44 |
| 8 | 43 |
| 9 | 43 |
| 10 | 43 |
| 11 | 42 |
| 12 | 42 |
| 13 | 42 |
| 14 | 42 |
| 15 | 42 |
| 16 | 42 |
| 17 | 42 |
| 18 | 43 |
| 19 | 43 |
| 20 | 43 |
| 21 | 44 |
| 22 | 44 |
| 23 | 44 |
| 24 | 44 |
| 25 | 44 |
| 26 | 44 |
| 27 | 44 |
| 28 | 44 |
| 29 | 44 |
| 30 | 44 |
| 31 | 43 |
Humidity in March
Most of March feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Oppressive (%) | 65 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 78 |
| Miserable (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 32 | 65 | 2 |
| 2 | 1 | 32 | 65 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | 31 | 66 | 2 |
| 4 | 1 | 31 | 66 | 2 |
| 5 | 1 | 30 | 66 | 3 |
| 6 | 1 | 29 | 67 | 3 |
| 7 | 1 | 28 | 68 | 3 |
| 8 | 1 | 27 | 68 | 4 |
| 9 | 1 | 26 | 69 | 4 |
| 10 | 1 | 25 | 70 | 4 |
| 11 | 1 | 24 | 70 | 5 |
| 12 | 1 | 23 | 71 | 5 |
| 13 | 1 | 22 | 72 | 5 |
| 14 | 1 | 20 | 73 | 6 |
| 15 | 1 | 19 | 74 | 6 |
| 16 | 1 | 18 | 75 | 6 |
| 17 | 0 | 17 | 76 | 7 |
| 18 | 0 | 16 | 77 | 7 |
| 19 | 0 | 15 | 77 | 8 |
| 20 | 0 | 14 | 78 | 8 |
| 21 | 0 | 13 | 78 | 9 |
| 22 | 0 | 12 | 79 | 9 |
| 23 | 0 | 11 | 79 | 10 |
| 24 | 0 | 11 | 79 | 10 |
| 25 | 0 | 10 | 80 | 10 |
| 26 | 0 | 10 | 79 | 11 |
| 27 | 0 | 10 | 79 | 11 |
| 28 | 0 | 9 | 80 | 11 |
| 29 | 0 | 9 | 79 | 12 |
| 30 | 0 | 9 | 79 | 12 |
| 31 | 0 | 9 | 78 | 13 |
Wind in March
Winds average 12 km/h in March.
Across March, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | light breeze |
| 2 | 12 | light breeze |
| 3 | 12 | light breeze |
| 4 | 12 | light breeze |
| 5 | 12 | light breeze |
| 6 | 12 | light breeze |
| 7 | 12 | light breeze |
| 8 | 12 | light breeze |
| 9 | 12 | calm |
| 10 | 12 | calm |
| 11 | 12 | calm |
| 12 | 12 | calm |
| 13 | 12 | calm |
| 14 | 12 | calm |
| 15 | 12 | calm |
| 16 | 12 | calm |
| 17 | 12 | calm |
| 18 | 12 | calm |
| 19 | 12 | calm |
| 20 | 12 | calm |
| 21 | 12 | calm |
| 22 | 12 | calm |
| 23 | 11 | calm |
| 24 | 11 | calm |
| 25 | 11 | calm |
| 26 | 11 | calm |
| 27 | 11 | calm |
| 28 | 11 | calm |
| 29 | 11 | calm |
| 30 | 11 | calm |
| 31 | 11 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in March
Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:17 AM to 5:56 AM, and sunset from 5:59 PM to 6:02 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:17 | 6:16 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:13 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:11 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:09 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:07 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:05 | 6:04 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:02 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:00 | 5:59 | 5:58 | 5:58 | 5:57 | 5:56 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:59 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.7 | 6:17 | 5:59 |
| 2 | 11.7 | 6:16 | 5:59 |
| 3 | 11.7 | 6:15 | 5:59 |
| 4 | 11.7 | 6:15 | 5:59 |
| 5 | 11.8 | 6:14 | 5:59 |
| 6 | 11.8 | 6:14 | 6:00 |
| 7 | 11.8 | 6:13 | 6:00 |
| 8 | 11.8 | 6:12 | 6:00 |
| 9 | 11.8 | 6:12 | 6:00 |
| 10 | 11.8 | 6:11 | 6:00 |
| 11 | 11.8 | 6:10 | 6:00 |
| 12 | 11.8 | 6:10 | 6:01 |
| 13 | 11.9 | 6:09 | 6:01 |
| 14 | 11.9 | 6:08 | 6:01 |
| 15 | 11.9 | 6:08 | 6:01 |
| 16 | 11.9 | 6:07 | 6:01 |
| 17 | 11.9 | 6:06 | 6:01 |
| 18 | 11.9 | 6:06 | 6:01 |
| 19 | 11.9 | 6:05 | 6:01 |
| 20 | 12.0 | 6:04 | 6:01 |
| 21 | 12.0 | 6:03 | 6:02 |
| 22 | 12.0 | 6:03 | 6:02 |
| 23 | 12.0 | 6:02 | 6:02 |
| 24 | 12.0 | 6:01 | 6:02 |
| 25 | 12.0 | 6:01 | 6:02 |
| 26 | 12.0 | 6:00 | 6:02 |
| 27 | 12.1 | 5:59 | 6:02 |
| 28 | 12.1 | 5:58 | 6:02 |
| 29 | 12.1 | 5:58 | 6:02 |
| 30 | 12.1 | 5:57 | 6:02 |
| 31 | 12.1 | 5:56 | 6:02 |
Solar energy in March
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.69 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.75 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in April across the year — March's 5.69 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 25 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 26 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 27 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.1 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz
In March, Santa Cruz sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Santa Cruz sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Santa Cruz's rainy season runs May–December, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is March a good time to visit Santa Cruz?
Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
March is a reasonable time to visit Santa Cruz for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Santa Cruz in March
From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In March, Santa Cruz sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Santa Cruz in March
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 44 km away) is warmest in June at about 30°C and coldest in January near 26°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 30 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Santa Cruz in March
Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 13 (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 August 18 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 23 at about 9 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 9 | Very high |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Air quality in Santa Cruz in March
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Santa Cruz is worst in September — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (February, 15 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) | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 23 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 27 | 19 | 16 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Moderate |
| Feb | 15 | Moderate |
| Mar | 17 | Moderate |
| Apr | 17 | Moderate |
| May | 23 | Moderate |
| Jun | 29 | Moderate |
| Jul | 28 | Moderate |
| Aug | 28 | Moderate |
| Sep | 32 | Moderate |
| Oct | 27 | Moderate |
| Nov | 19 | Moderate |
| Dec | 16 | Moderate |
Where is Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz sits at 14.3°N, 121.4°E, 9 m above sea level, in Philippines. The nearest listed city is Lumbang, 5.0 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 24 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 720 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,141 m.
The land around Santa Cruz is covered by cropland (30%) and water (24%) within 3 km, trees (52%) and water (29%) within 16 km, and trees (47%) and water (42%) within 80 km.
Philippines travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B / C
- 230 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 33% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $4,171
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.2 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 48%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 4.3
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- High
- EF EPI 569
- 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 (14.2814°, 121.4161°, elevation 9 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).