Santa Cruz, California Weather
Santa Cruz, California — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery, tide predictions, marine conditions and a solunar fishing forecast for Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County.
Tides, marine forecast and fishing conditions near Santa Cruz. Tide source:
Full aviation weather for Santa Cruz is published on the Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI) page, 22 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 6 airfields within reach of Santa Cruz have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near Santa Cruz: Marina Municipal Airport (KOAR) 40 km · Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (KRHV) 44 km · Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (KSJC) 44 km · Monterey Regional Airport (KMRY) 46 km · Moffett Federal Airfield (KNUQ) 49 km
Conditions reported at KWVI describe the airfield itself. Weather 22 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at Santa Cruz specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
About Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz unfolds along the dramatic California coast, where redwood-forested mountains meet the Pacific's embrace. It lies 15.8 miles west-north-west of Watsonville, CA (from Watsonville, CA: bearing 286°T), and is situated 2.9 miles west-south-west of Live Oak. This geography has shaped its history, from its early days as a Spanish mission outpost to its transformation into a vibrant coastal hub. The economy of Santa Cruz has long been tied to its natural bounty, historically driven by agriculture, particularly artichokes and strawberries, and by the logging industry that once plundered its ancient forests. Today, while agriculture remains important, a significant portion of Santa Cruz's economic engine hums with the innovative spirit of the tech industry and the steady flow of tourism drawn by its unique charm and natural beauty, a blend that creates a distinct rhythm in the air, especially when the fog rolls in, softening the edges of the day. The cultural character of Santa Cruz is one of independent spirit and a deep appreciation for its surroundings, often reflected in its eclectic arts scene and a generally laid-back, progressive attitude. Iconic landmarks like the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, with its vintage amusement park rides, evoke a sense of timeless joy, while the majestic redwood groves of nearby Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park offer a profound connection to nature. The University of California, Santa Cruz, with its distinctive architecture nestled in the redwoods, contributes a significant intellectual energy to the community. While professional sports teams are not a primary focus, the local passion for surfing is palpable, a fluid dance with the ocean that defines much of the coastal lifestyle here. Famous individuals connected to Santa Cruz include the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Penn Warren and the legendary surfer and environmentalist Jack O'Neill, figures who, in their own ways, captured the essence of this captivating place.
Live animated radar for Santa Cruz and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California |
| Coordinates | 36.974117°N, 122.030796°W |
| Timezone | Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 95060, 95065, 95061, 95062, 95063 |
| Area Code | 408, 669 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Santa Cruz, California Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Santa Cruz, California, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Santa Cruz includes coordinates 36.974117°N, 122.030796°W, situated in Santa Cruz County. ZIP code 95060, 95065, 95061, 95062, 95063. Telephone area code: 408, 669. Timezone: Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
