Santa Fe, NM climate
Santa Fe has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Santa Fe feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Santa Fe 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 | 44° | 18° | 0.6" | 3.7" | 3 | 3 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 49° | 21° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 4 | 2 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 57° | 27° | 0.7" | 3.9" | 4 | 1 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 64° | 33° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 74° | 41° | 0.9" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 85° | 50° | 0.9" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 56° | 2.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 2.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 1.4" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 67° | 35° | 1.2" | 1.3" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 54° | 25° | 0.7" | 1.7" | 4 | 1 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 18° | 0.7" | 6.8" | 4 | 3 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 65° | 35° | 13.0" | 20.2" | 64 | 9 |
“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 Santa Fe
Santa Fe gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 9 days of the year.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 144 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 85% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Fe
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Santa Fe, 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.
Santa Fe and its neighbors
Santa Fe borders 8 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.8°. Conejo has the coldest January nights (18°) and La Cienega the hottest July afternoons (89°). Santa Fe’s January low is 18° and its July high 86°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°). The shift is larger than in 51% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Santa Fe’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 32° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Santa Fe’s climate
What is the coldest month in Santa Fe?
December, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Santa Fe?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 56°. About 24 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Santa Fe get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Santa Fe?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by May 14.
What is the rainiest month in Santa Fe?
July, with 2.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Santa Fe itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Santa Fe 2, NM (3 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.