Santa Cruz weather in May
In May, Santa Cruz sees average daytime highs of 58°F and overnight lows near 52°F, with 0.8 in of rain across 3 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 58°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Santa Cruz's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 58°
- 7th warmest
- Overnight low
- 52°
- 6th coldest
- Rainfall
- 0.8 in
- 3 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 hours
- 5:05 AM – 7:04 PM
- Cloud cover
- 36%
- 6th clearest
- Wind
- 8 mph
- 2nd windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.04 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.4
- out of 10
Santa Cruz is city in and county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, United States.
- Density
- 1,567/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1791
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 58°F through the month.
A typical May day in Santa Cruz reaches about 58°F in the afternoon and slips back to 52°F overnight — a 6°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 62°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and about 2°F cooler than June.
| 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 (°F) | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 |
| Avg low (°F) | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 58 | 51 |
| 2 | 58 | 51 |
| 3 | 58 | 51 |
| 4 | 58 | 51 |
| 5 | 58 | 51 |
| 6 | 58 | 52 |
| 7 | 58 | 52 |
| 8 | 58 | 52 |
| 9 | 58 | 52 |
| 10 | 58 | 52 |
| 11 | 58 | 52 |
| 12 | 58 | 52 |
| 13 | 58 | 52 |
| 14 | 58 | 52 |
| 15 | 58 | 52 |
| 16 | 58 | 52 |
| 17 | 58 | 52 |
| 18 | 58 | 52 |
| 19 | 58 | 52 |
| 20 | 58 | 52 |
| 21 | 58 | 52 |
| 22 | 58 | 52 |
| 23 | 58 | 52 |
| 24 | 58 | 52 |
| 25 | 58 | 53 |
| 26 | 58 | 53 |
| 27 | 59 | 53 |
| 28 | 59 | 53 |
| 29 | 59 | 53 |
| 30 | 59 | 53 |
| 31 | 59 | 53 |
Santa Cruz weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56° / 49° | 5.7 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 56° / 49° | 5.6 | 9.4 | 10.6 | 3.8 |
| Mar | 56° / 50° | 3.9 | 9.1 | 11.7 | 4.1 |
| Apr | 57° / 51° | 1.8 | 5 | 12.9 | 4.7 |
| May | 58° / 52° | 0.8 | 3 | 13.9 | 5.4 |
| Jun | 60° / 54° | 0.2 | 0.9 | 14.5 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 62° / 56° | 0.0 | 0.1 | 14.3 | 7.2 |
| Aug | 63° / 57° | 0.0 | 0.1 | 13.4 | 7.8 |
| Sep | 64° / 58° | 0.1 | 0.6 | 12.3 | 7.9 |
| Oct | 63° / 56° | 1.2 | 2.9 | 11 | 7.1 |
| Nov | 59° / 52° | 2.6 | 6.1 | 10 | 5.2 |
| Dec | 56° / 49° | 5.3 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 3.9 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. 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 (%) | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 |
| Cloudier (%) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 73 | 27 |
| 2 | 73 | 27 |
| 3 | 73 | 27 |
| 4 | 73 | 27 |
| 5 | 74 | 26 |
| 6 | 74 | 26 |
| 7 | 74 | 26 |
| 8 | 74 | 26 |
| 9 | 74 | 26 |
| 10 | 74 | 26 |
| 11 | 75 | 25 |
| 12 | 75 | 25 |
| 13 | 75 | 25 |
| 14 | 75 | 25 |
| 15 | 75 | 25 |
| 16 | 75 | 25 |
| 17 | 75 | 25 |
| 18 | 75 | 25 |
| 19 | 75 | 25 |
| 20 | 75 | 25 |
| 21 | 76 | 24 |
| 22 | 76 | 24 |
| 23 | 76 | 24 |
| 24 | 77 | 23 |
| 25 | 78 | 22 |
| 26 | 78 | 22 |
| 27 | 79 | 21 |
| 28 | 79 | 21 |
| 29 | 79 | 21 |
| 30 | 80 | 20 |
| 31 | 81 | 19 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Santa Cruz gets around 0.8 in of rain over 3 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 10% and peaks near 11% 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 (%) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 10 |
| 7 | 10 |
| 8 | 10 |
| 9 | 10 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 11 | 11 |
| 12 | 11 |
| 13 | 11 |
| 14 | 11 |
| 15 | 11 |
| 16 | 11 |
| 17 | 11 |
| 18 | 11 |
| 19 | 10 |
| 20 | 10 |
| 21 | 10 |
| 22 | 10 |
| 23 | 9 |
| 24 | 9 |
| 25 | 8 |
| 26 | 8 |
| 27 | 7 |
| 28 | 7 |
| 29 | 7 |
| 30 | 6 |
| 31 | 6 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 0 |
| 2 | 100 | 0 |
| 3 | 100 | 0 |
| 4 | 100 | 0 |
| 5 | 100 | 0 |
| 6 | 100 | 0 |
| 7 | 100 | 0 |
| 8 | 99 | 1 |
| 9 | 99 | 1 |
| 10 | 99 | 1 |
| 11 | 99 | 1 |
| 12 | 99 | 1 |
| 13 | 99 | 1 |
| 14 | 98 | 2 |
| 15 | 98 | 2 |
| 16 | 98 | 2 |
| 17 | 98 | 2 |
| 18 | 98 | 2 |
| 19 | 98 | 2 |
| 20 | 98 | 2 |
| 21 | 97 | 3 |
| 22 | 97 | 3 |
| 23 | 97 | 3 |
| 24 | 97 | 3 |
| 25 | 97 | 3 |
| 26 | 97 | 3 |
| 27 | 97 | 3 |
| 28 | 96 | 4 |
| 29 | 96 | 4 |
| 30 | 96 | 4 |
| 31 | 96 | 4 |
Wind in May
Winds average 8 mph in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph 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 (mph) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | light breeze |
| 2 | 9 | light breeze |
| 3 | 9 | light breeze |
| 4 | 9 | light breeze |
| 5 | 9 | light breeze |
| 6 | 9 | light breeze |
| 7 | 9 | light breeze |
| 8 | 9 | light breeze |
| 9 | 9 | light breeze |
| 10 | 9 | light breeze |
| 11 | 9 | light breeze |
| 12 | 9 | light breeze |
| 13 | 9 | light breeze |
| 14 | 9 | light breeze |
| 15 | 9 | light breeze |
| 16 | 9 | light breeze |
| 17 | 9 | light breeze |
| 18 | 9 | light breeze |
| 19 | 9 | light breeze |
| 20 | 8 | light breeze |
| 21 | 8 | light breeze |
| 22 | 8 | light breeze |
| 23 | 8 | light breeze |
| 24 | 8 | light breeze |
| 25 | 8 | light breeze |
| 26 | 8 | light breeze |
| 27 | 8 | light breeze |
| 28 | 8 | light breeze |
| 29 | 8 | light breeze |
| 30 | 8 | light breeze |
| 31 | 8 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:20 AM to 4:56 AM, and sunset from 6:50 PM to 7:15 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) | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:20 | 5:19 | 5:18 | 5:17 | 5:16 | 5:15 | 5:14 | 5:13 | 5:12 | 5:11 | 5:10 | 5:09 | 5:08 | 5:07 | 5:06 | 5:05 | 5:04 | 5:04 | 5:03 | 5:02 | 5:01 | 5:01 | 5:00 | 4:59 | 4:59 | 4:58 | 4:58 | 4:57 | 4:57 | 4:56 | 4:56 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:08 | 7:09 | 7:10 | 7:11 | 7:12 | 7:12 | 7:13 | 7:14 | 7:15 | 7:15 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.5 | 5:20 | 6:50 |
| 2 | 13.5 | 5:19 | 6:51 |
| 3 | 13.6 | 5:18 | 6:52 |
| 4 | 13.6 | 5:17 | 6:53 |
| 5 | 13.6 | 5:16 | 6:54 |
| 6 | 13.7 | 5:15 | 6:55 |
| 7 | 13.7 | 5:14 | 6:56 |
| 8 | 13.7 | 5:13 | 6:57 |
| 9 | 13.8 | 5:12 | 6:57 |
| 10 | 13.8 | 5:11 | 6:58 |
| 11 | 13.8 | 5:10 | 6:59 |
| 12 | 13.9 | 5:09 | 7:00 |
| 13 | 13.9 | 5:08 | 7:01 |
| 14 | 13.9 | 5:07 | 7:02 |
| 15 | 13.9 | 5:06 | 7:03 |
| 16 | 14.0 | 5:05 | 7:04 |
| 17 | 14.0 | 5:04 | 7:04 |
| 18 | 14.0 | 5:04 | 7:05 |
| 19 | 14.1 | 5:03 | 7:06 |
| 20 | 14.1 | 5:02 | 7:07 |
| 21 | 14.1 | 5:01 | 7:08 |
| 22 | 14.1 | 5:01 | 7:08 |
| 23 | 14.2 | 5:00 | 7:09 |
| 24 | 14.2 | 4:59 | 7:10 |
| 25 | 14.2 | 4:59 | 7:11 |
| 26 | 14.2 | 4:58 | 7:12 |
| 27 | 14.2 | 4:58 | 7:12 |
| 28 | 14.3 | 4:57 | 7:13 |
| 29 | 14.3 | 4:57 | 7:14 |
| 30 | 14.3 | 4:56 | 7:15 |
| 31 | 14.3 | 4:56 | 7:15 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.04 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.37 kWh/m² to a high of 7.7 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.04 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) | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.4 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 21 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 22 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 23 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 24 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 25 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 26 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 27 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 29 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 30 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 31 | 7.4 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz
None of Santa Cruz's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Santa Cruz's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Santa Cruz?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Santa Cruz for sightseeing.
What to pack for Santa Cruz in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Santa Cruz sees daytime highs around 58°F and nights near 52°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer. About 3 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Santa Cruz in May
The nearest coast averages about 54°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 9 mi away) is warmest in September at about 58°F and coldest in April near 54°F.
The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 55 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 55 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | Bracing |
| Feb | 55 | Bracing |
| Mar | 55 | Bracing |
| Apr | 54 | Bracing |
| May | 54 | Bracing |
| Jun | 55 | Bracing |
| Jul | 57 | Bracing |
| Aug | 58 | Bracing |
| Sep | 58 | Bracing |
| Oct | 58 | Bracing |
| Nov | 57 | Bracing |
| Dec | 55 | Bracing |
UV index in Santa Cruz in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (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 June 23 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 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) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 7 | High |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 5 | High |
| Nov | 2 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Moderate |
Air quality in Santa Cruz in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Santa Cruz is worst in August — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (June, 6 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) | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 7 | Good |
| May | 7 | Good |
| Jun | 6 | Good |
| Jul | 6 | Good |
| Aug | 17 | Moderate |
| Sep | 11 | Good |
| Oct | 10 | Good |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Where is Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz sits at 37.0°N, 122.0°W, 36 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Live Oak, 3.1 mi away.
Topography around Santa Cruz
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Santa Cruz.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Santa Cruz has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 755 ft around an average of 131 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,520 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,820 ft.
The land around Santa Cruz is covered by artificial surfaces (44%) and trees (30%) within 2 miles, water (46%) and trees (42%) within 10 miles, and water (33%), trees (29%) and grassland (25%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- 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 (36.9741°, -122.0308°, elevation 36 ft), 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. 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).