Aptos, CA climate
Aptos has warm winters and cool summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Aptos feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Aptos weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 42° | 6.0" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| February | 61° | 43° | 5.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| March | 63° | 45° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| April | 66° | 46° | 1.9" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| May | 68° | 49° | 0.8" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| June | 71° | 52° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 72° | 55° | 0.0" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 73° | 55° | 0.0" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 54° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 71° | 50° | 1.1" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 65° | 45° | 3.0" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| December | 60° | 41° | 5.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 47° – 54° |
| Year | 67° | 48° | 28.5" | 0.0" | 65 | 0 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Aptos
Aptos gets 29 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
About 323 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 29 and the first one by December 13. That leaves about 323 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 96% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Aptos
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Aptos, 93% of that work is heating and 7% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Aptos and its neighbors
Aptos borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.1°. Day Valley has both the coldest January nights (40°) and the hottest July afternoons (78°). Aptos’s January low is 42° and its July high 72°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Aptos compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Aptos averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°). The shift is larger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Aptos’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 49° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Aptos’s climate
What is the coldest month in Aptos?
December, with a typical high of 60° and a low of 41°.
What is the hottest month in Aptos?
September, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 54°. About 6 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Aptos get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Aptos?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by December 13, and the last spring frost by January 29.
What is the rainiest month in Aptos?
January, with 6.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 29 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Aptos itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Santa Cruz, CA (6 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.