Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0Santa Fe’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Santa Fe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Santa Fe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Santa Fe’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Santa Fe 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 NOAA’s station at Santa Fe 2, NM, 3.0 miles from the city’s center point, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Fe’s 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Fe 2, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 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
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
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’s 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: May, August and September. 191 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Fe from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Fe and its neighbors
La Cienega the hottest July afternoons (89°, 3° 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’s, 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, NM | 18° | 86° | 13" | 20" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Security-Widefield, CO | 18° | 87° | 16" | 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 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 compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Santa Fe’s place among New Mexico’s.
Santa Fe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Santa Fe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Fe 2, NM. 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" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 85° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 56° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 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° | 12.9" | 20.2" | 64 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Santa Fe’s 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’s center.
- Snow: Santa Fe 2, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Fe 2, NM, 3.0 miles from the city’s center point, 140 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- 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’s climate
What is the weather like in Santa Fe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Fe in winter?
December nights average 18°. 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 26°.
How much snow does Santa Fe get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Santa Fe 2, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Santa Fe?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 56°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Santa Fe 2, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Santa Fe?
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 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?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Santa Fe 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.
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.