The bottom line is our weather in the Santa Cruz Mountains is often different than either the coast or the valleys. Weather in the mountains can be unpredictable and more severe. But it can also be better depending on the time of year and even particular days.This page mentions a bit of what to expect and prepare for. If you have already lived here for a few years you probably know most of this!

In general the Santa Cruz mountain area weather differs somewhat from nearby areas on the coast and the valley. Even separate  areas of the mountains will differ from one another depending on may factors-exposure, coast or valley facing, etc.

Winds- like most weather here it will sometimes be more extreme than other relatively nearby areas. That means there can be higher winds-usually in winter. These winds may down trees and powerlines with resulting consequences. For this reason its a good idea to anticipate what needs to be addressed if high winds do occur. Things like outdoor movable objects around your property that might be affected. Also dead or diseased trees or dead limbs that may come down in high winds and damage property and/or other trees. Also sometimes there is an inversion which may make the higher parts of the mountains both hotter and less windy (usually no breeze or wind at all.)

Rain, snow and hail-In years past there have been rainy seasons in which monumental amounts of rain have fallen. Both over the course of the total season but also in single storms. Single storms (sometimes thunderstorms) can dump large volumes in short periods of time. These rains can consequently overwhelm drainage, roads and drives. Before each rainy season its a good idea to maintain your home's gutters, drainage ditches, culverts and driveways. Snow typically occurs a couple of times each year and usually amounts to no more than a very few inches. Occasionally though there is a lot of snow causing the roads to be closed for up to several days. This is not common but can occur. Hail is a similarly uncommon event, usually very small size and not damaging.

Temperatures-historically hard freezes are infrequent but do occur some years. The normal lows are the 30s on cold winter nights with low 40s more common. Summer/fall highs are normally about 90 but there have been times when it is 100 or higher. Sometimes the inversion mentioned above will cause high temperatures to occur above about 1500 feet elevation.

What to do as common preparation for the weather in the mountains-wind, drainage for major rainfall, cold and snow considerations

• Pre-rainy season maintenance on roofing, gutters, drains, culverts and drives
• Make sure you have battery powered lights or kerosene lamps in case of power failure
• Have a battery powered radio, cell phone and emergency water and food in case power fails, roads are closed and you are stuck at home for a few days

Local weather stations on the web that can help with local information for the many micro-climates in the mountains

Return to Mountain Living Basics page.