Holiday on the California Coast

Santa Cruz Weather & Climate

The Central Pacific Coast, between San Francisco and the Monterey Bay, enjoys a mild, Mediterranean type climate. It can be cloudy and damp in the wintertime but spring through fall is sunny, warm and dry - perfect for enjoying the area's beaches. This region that is at the northern tip of the Monterey Bay does not experience much variation in daytime temperatures, but nights are generally cooler in winter than in summer. The rainy season runs late October through early April, with the rest of the year experiencing only a trace of precipitation. Early morning fog is common along the coast in the summertime, due to warm air moving across the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean. Due to very dry conditions in summer, wildfire is always a threat in the forested mountain regions and in winter, mudslides can occur on mountain roads when lots of rain is received over a period of a few days.