Santa Cruz in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Santa Cruz sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 96 mm of rain over about 17 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels muggy.
Winter is Santa Cruz's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Santa Cruz has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 28°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 22°C
- Rainfall
- 96 mm
- 17 wet days
- Avg wind
- 8 km/h
- Travel score
- 6.4
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Santa Cruz in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical winter day in Santa Cruz reaches about 28°C and drops to 22°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Santa Cruz
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Santa Cruz weather by month
How the three winter 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 | 28° / 22° | 18 | 4.5 | 11.2 | 6.7 |
| Feb | 29° / 22° | 24 | 4.4 | 11.5 | 6.4 |
| Mar | 30° / 23° | 44 | 7.9 | 11.9 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 31° / 24° | 84 | 14.6 | 12.3 | 4.3 |
| May | 30° / 25° | 262 | 25 | 12.7 | 3.2 |
| Jun | 29° / 24° | 377 | 28.2 | 12.9 | 2.9 |
| Jul | 28° / 24° | 559 | 30.1 | 12.8 | 3.0 |
| Aug | 28° / 24° | 525 | 29.5 | 12.5 | 3.3 |
| Sep | 28° / 24° | 408 | 28.5 | 12.1 | 3.1 |
| Oct | 29° / 24° | 263 | 21.9 | 11.6 | 4.0 |
| Nov | 29° / 23° | 97 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 5.2 |
| Dec | 29° / 23° | 54 | 7.8 | 11.1 | 6.1 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Santa Cruz gets around 96 mm of rain over 17 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 8 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min in early December to 11 h 42 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 4.9 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz
In winter, Santa Cruz overlaps 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 monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Santa Cruz?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter 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 Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Santa Cruz sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 17 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Santa Cruz in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 28°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in May at about 30°C and coldest in February near 27°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) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 28 | Warm |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 30 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index in Santa Cruz in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 10 (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 16 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 8 (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) | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 14 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 9 | Very high |
| Dec | 8 | Very high |
Air quality in Santa Cruz in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Santa Cruz is worst in November — around 38 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 34 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 32 | 38 | 37 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | Moderate |
| Feb | 31 | Moderate |
| Mar | 33 | Moderate |
| Apr | 30 | Moderate |
| May | 26 | Moderate |
| Jun | 28 | Moderate |
| Jul | 26 | Moderate |
| Aug | 26 | Moderate |
| Sep | 27 | Moderate |
| Oct | 32 | Moderate |
| Nov | 38 | Poor |
| Dec | 37 | Poor |
Where is Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz sits at 15.8°N, 119.9°E, 9 m above sea level, in Philippines. The nearest listed city is Masinloc, 26 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 30 m around an average of 3 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 795 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,022 m.
The land around Santa Cruz is covered by water (35%), cropland (28%) and trees (27%) within 3 km, water (48%) and trees (36%) within 16 km, and water (48%) and trees (31%) 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 (15.7654°, 119.9092°, 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.