Best time to visit Albuquerque
The best time to visit Albuquerque is April–May and October, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.2 °C / 47 °F | -3.4 °C / 26 °F | 13 mm / 0.5 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 12.1 °C / 54 °F | -1.2 °C / 30 °F | 11 mm / 0.4 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 17.1 °C / 63 °F | 3 °C / 37 °F | 10 mm / 0.4 in | good month |
| April | 21.5 °C / 71 °F | 6.7 °C / 44 °F | 8 mm / 0.3 in | best month |
| May | 26 °C / 79 °F | 11.5 °C / 53 °F | 11 mm / 0.4 in | best month |
| June | 32.3 °C / 90 °F | 17.3 °C / 63 °F | 10 mm / 0.4 in | good month |
| July | 32.4 °C / 90 °F | 19.7 °C / 67 °F | 23 mm / 0.9 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 31.4 °C / 89 °F | 18.7 °C / 66 °F | 14 mm / 0.6 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 27.9 °C / 82 °F | 14.8 °C / 59 °F | 20 mm / 0.8 in | good month |
| October | 21.5 °C / 71 °F | 8.1 °C / 47 °F | 18 mm / 0.7 in | best month, for Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The weather alone makes it good. |
| November | 14.4 °C / 58 °F | 1.6 °C / 35 °F | 14 mm / 0.5 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 8.8 °C / 48 °F | -2.5 °C / 28 °F | 17 mm / 0.7 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–May, October
- Good
- March, June, September
Albuquerque exploring is best in spring (April-May), when days are warm, dry and sunny, and reaches best again in October thanks to mild weather plus the Balloon Fiesta; midsummer turns hot with monsoon rain, and winter (November-February) is cold and duller.
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: precipitation 10 mm / 0.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, average daily high 17.1 °C / 63 °F, wet days 3 days, days with heavy rain 0.1 days, relative humidity 33%.
Against: feels like (high) 12.3 °C / 54 °F, average daily low 3 °C / 37 °F.
Also on: Easter dances and Holy Week, National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show.
Watch out for: Easter closures, Good Friday closures.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.9 °C / 62 °F, average daily high 21.5 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 8 mm / 0.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 1.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.1 days, average daily low 6.7 °C / 44 °F, relative humidity 26%.
Also on: Easter dances and Holy Week, Gathering of Nations Pow-Wow.
Watch out for: Easter closures, Good Friday closures.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.4 °C / 72 °F, precipitation 11 mm / 0.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 95%, average daily high 26 °C / 79 °F, wet days 2.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.1 days, average daily low 11.5 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 26%.
Also on: Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival.
Watch out for: Memorial Day closures.
June · good
In its favour: precipitation 10 mm / 0.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 94%, wet days 2.4 days, days with heavy rain 0.2 days, average daily low 17.3 °C / 63 °F, relative humidity 25%.
Against: average daily high 32.3 °C / 90 °F, feels like (high) 29.9 °C / 86 °F.
Also on: Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque.
Watch out for: Juneteenth closures.
September · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.1 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 3.1 days, average daily high 27.9 °C / 82 °F, average daily low 14.8 °C / 59 °F, relative humidity 41%.
Against: precipitation 20 mm / 0.8 in, days with heavy rain 0.5 days.
Also on: New Mexico State Fair.
Watch out for: Labor Day closures.
October · best
Good weather, made best by Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
In its favour: feels like (high) 18 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 21.5 °C / 71 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 3.1 days, relative humidity 40%, average daily low 8.1 °C / 47 °F.
Against: precipitation 18 mm / 0.7 in, days with heavy rain 0.6 days.
Watch out for: Balloon Fiesta lodging shortage, Columbus Day closures, Halloween business closures.
Skiing and snow
Wants cold and snowfall; sunshine barely matters.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
No month is good for this in Albuquerque.
The city itself gets only light, intermittent snow even in the coldest months (peaking around 4 cm in December) and none at all from May to September, so no month qualifies as good ski weather on this data.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Sandia Peak Ski Area, 24 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 3.7 °C | 7.3 °C | 12.3 °C | 16.9 °C | 22.4 °C | 29.9 °C | 32.2 °C | 30.9 °C | 26.1 °C | 18 °C | 10.1 °C | 4.5 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.2 days | 0 days | 0.1 days | 0.1 days | 0.1 days | 0.2 days | 0.3 days | 0.1 days | 0.5 days | 0.6 days | 0.3 days | 0.2 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 7 am | 1 am | 11 am | 3 am | 6 pm | 7 pm | 7 pm | 7 pm | 7 pm | 6 pm | 1 pm | 1 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 9.2 h | 10.1 h | 11.1 h | 12.2 h | 13.3 h | 13.6 h | 13.3 h | 12.6 h | 11.5 h | 10.5 h | 9.5 h | 8.9 h |
| Relative humidity | 51% | 43% | 33% | 26% | 26% | 25% | 40% | 41% | 41% | 40% | 43% | 53% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 9.1 µg/m³ | 8.2 µg/m³ | 6.7 µg/m³ | 5.8 µg/m³ | 6.5 µg/m³ | 6.4 µg/m³ | 6.4 µg/m³ | 6.5 µg/m³ | 5.7 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ | 7.8 µg/m³ | 9.3 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 15.3 µg/m³ | 13.2 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 10.1 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 8.2 µg/m³ | 13.4 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Major
1–11 October, dates vary from year to year
- Albuquerque On Stage
January
- Friends and Lovers Balloon Rally
February
- National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show
March
- Easter dances and Holy Week
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Gathering of Nations Pow-Wow
22–30 April, dates vary from year to year
- Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival
May
- Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque
1–10 June, dates vary from year to year
- Lavender in the Village Festival
July
- Fourth of July fireworks at Balloon Fiesta Park
4 July
- Albuquerque Summerfest Series
August
- New Mexico State Fair
September
- River of Lights
November and December
- Marigold Parade (Day of the Dead)
1–7 November, dates vary from year to year
- Sandhill crane migration
November
- Autumn colours along the Rio Grande and Sandias
November
- Old Town farolitos and luminarias display
December
- Twinkle Light Parade
December
- Old Town Holiday Stroll
December
- La Posada procession
December
Worth knowing before you go
- New Year's Day closures
1 January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day closures
January, dates vary from year to year
- Presidents' Day closures
February, dates vary from year to year
- Good Friday closures
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Easter closures
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Memorial Day closures
May, dates vary from year to year
- Juneteenth closures
19 June
- Independence Day closures
4 July
- Labor Day closures
September, dates vary from year to year
- Balloon Fiesta lodging shortage
1–11 October, dates vary from year to year
- Columbus Day closures
October, dates vary from year to year
- Halloween business closures
31 October
- Veterans Day closures
11 November
- Thanksgiving travel rush and closures
November, dates vary from year to year
- Holiday season travel rush
26 November–31 December, dates vary from year to year
- Christmas closures
24–25 December