Santa Fe Foothills is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. A year here swings 62° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 85% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Santa Fe Foothills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Santa Fe Foothills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Santa Fe Foothills’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Santa Fe Foothills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from Santa Fe 2, NM, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Fe Foothills’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Fe Seton, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Fe Foothills
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Santa Fe 2, NM.
Living with Santa Fe Foothills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 5.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Fe Foothills from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Fe Foothills and its neighbors
Santa Fe has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 2° colder) and Santa Fe the hottest July afternoons (86°, 5° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Santa Fe Foothills’, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe Foothills, NM | 20° | 81° | 16" | 28" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Santa Fe Foothills averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Santa Fe Foothills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Santa Fe Foothills’ place among New Mexico’s.
Santa Fe Foothills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Santa Fe Foothills’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Fe Seton, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 20° | 0.9" | 5.0" | 5 | 13 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 45° | 22° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 6 | 7 | 28° – 39° |
| March | 53° | 27° | 0.8" | 4.2" | 5 | 2 | 36° – 45° |
| April | 60° | 32° | 0.8" | 1.1" | 4 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 80° | 49° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 47° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 1.3" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 50° | 26° | 0.9" | 3.2" | 5 | 2 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 40° | 20° | 0.9" | 8.6" | 6 | 11 | 25° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 15.8" | 28.1" | 75 | 37 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Santa Fe Foothills’ numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Santa Fe Foothills’ center.
- Snow: Santa Fe Seton, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Fe 2, NM, 4 miles from the town’s center, 830 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Santa Fe Foothills’ climate
What is the weather like in Santa Fe Foothills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Fe Foothills in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Santa Fe Foothills get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Santa Fe Seton, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 37 days a year.
How hot does it get in Santa Fe Foothills?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Santa Fe 2, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Santa Fe Foothills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 144 frost-free days, at Santa Fe 2, NM.
What growing zone is Santa Fe Foothills in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Santa Fe Foothills?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Santa Fe Foothills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Santa Fe Foothills.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.