Best time to visit Santa Fe
The best time to visit Santa Fe is May and September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Santa Fe, 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 | 4.8 °C / 41 °F | -7.3 °C / 19 °F | 19 mm / 0.8 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 7.6 °C / 46 °F | -4.7 °C / 24 °F | 17 mm / 0.7 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 12.7 °C / 55 °F | -0.7 °C / 31 °F | 22 mm / 0.8 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 17.1 °C / 63 °F | 2.8 °C / 37 °F | 17 mm / 0.7 in | good month |
| May | 21.7 °C / 71 °F | 7.5 °C / 46 °F | 22 mm / 0.9 in | best month |
| June | 28.2 °C / 83 °F | 13.3 °C / 56 °F | 17 mm / 0.7 in | good month |
| July | 28.8 °C / 84 °F | 15.6 °C / 60 °F | 38 mm / 1.5 in | good month |
| August | 27.8 °C / 82 °F | 14.7 °C / 58 °F | 26 mm / 1 in | good month |
| September | 24.4 °C / 76 °F | 11 °C / 52 °F | 26 mm / 1 in | best month |
| October | 18.1 °C / 65 °F | 4.9 °C / 41 °F | 28 mm / 1.1 in | good month |
| November | 11.5 °C / 53 °F | -1.4 °C / 29 °F | 19 mm / 0.8 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 5.7 °C / 42 °F | -5.9 °C / 21 °F | 26 mm / 1 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: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: good
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May, September
- Good
- April, June–August, October
High-desert Santa Fe is dry and sunny all year: May and September are the standout months with mild highs and negligible rain, April and October are good cooler shoulder months, deep winter (Nov-Mar) is too cold for comfortable walking, and midsummer (Jun-Aug) turns warm with a brief monsoon uptick in humidity by July.
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: precipitation 17 mm / 0.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, average daily high 17.1 °C / 63 °F, wet days 3.5 days, days with heavy rain 0.2 days, relative humidity 33%.
Against: feels like (high) 12.5 °C / 55 °F, average daily low 2.8 °C / 37 °F.
Also on: Holy Week traditions.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.7 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 21.7 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 22 mm / 0.9 in, share of daylight that is sunny 95%, wet days 4.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.4 days, relative humidity 34%, average daily low 7.5 °C / 46 °F.
Watch out for: Memorial Day.
June · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.2 °C / 77 °F, precipitation 17 mm / 0.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 4.2 days, days with heavy rain 0.5 days, average daily low 13.3 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 31%.
Against: average daily high 28.2 °C / 83 °F.
Also on: Rodeo de Santa Fe, Summer Antiquities Show, Summer Spanish Market.
Watch out for: Juneteenth.
July · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.8 °C / 82 °F, precipitation 38 mm / 1.5 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, wet days 8.7 days, average daily low 15.6 °C / 60 °F.
Against: average daily high 28.8 °C / 84 °F, relative humidity 46%.
Also on: Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, Santa Fe Opera season, Santa Fe Wine Festival, Summer Antiquities Show, Summer Spanish Market.
Watch out for: Independence Day.
August · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.5 °C / 80 °F, precipitation 26 mm / 1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 94%, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 0.4 days, average daily low 14.7 °C / 58 °F.
Against: average daily high 27.8 °C / 82 °F, relative humidity 47%.
Also on: Burning of Zozobra, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa Fe Opera season, Santa Fe Wine Festival, Summer Antiquities Show, Summer Spanish Market.
Watch out for: Indian Market lodging crunch.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.9 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 24.4 °C / 76 °F, precipitation 26 mm / 1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 4.5 days, days with heavy rain 0.6 days, average daily low 11 °C / 52 °F, relative humidity 45%.
Also on: Aspen autumn colours, Fiesta de Santa Fe, Green chile harvest, Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta.
Watch out for: Fiesta de Santa Fe crowds, Labor Day, Wine and Chile Fiesta lodging squeeze.
October · good
In its favour: average daily high 18.1 °C / 65 °F, precipitation 28 mm / 1.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, wet days 4.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.8 days, relative humidity 44%, average daily low 4.9 °C / 41 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 14.1 °C / 57 °F.
Watch out for: Columbus Day.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Ski Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Q38555, 17 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) | 0.5 °C | 3.2 °C | 8.1 °C | 12.5 °C | 17.7 °C | 25.2 °C | 27.8 °C | 26.5 °C | 21.9 °C | 14.1 °C | 6.9 °C | 1.3 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.3 days | 0.1 days | 0.2 days | 0.2 days | 0.4 days | 0.5 days | 0.9 days | 0.4 days | 0.6 days | 0.8 days | 0.5 days | 0.6 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 12 am | 12 am | 5 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 6 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 7 am |
| Sunshine per day | 9.2 h | 10.1 h | 11.2 h | 12.2 h | 13.3 h | 13.6 h | 13.3 h | 12.6 h | 11.5 h | 10.4 h | 9.5 h | 8.9 h |
| Relative humidity | 56% | 52% | 42% | 33% | 34% | 31% | 46% | 47% | 45% | 44% | 46% | 55% |
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 | 5.4 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ | 5.6 µg/m³ | 5.1 µg/m³ | 5.5 µg/m³ | 5.4 µg/m³ | 5.7 µg/m³ | 5.3 µg/m³ | 4.4 µg/m³ | 3.7 µg/m³ | 4.3 µg/m³ | 4.9 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 9 µg/m³ | 9.2 µg/m³ | 8.7 µg/m³ | 8.4 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 8.8 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 6.7 µg/m³ | 5.7 µg/m³ | 7.1 µg/m³ | 8.2 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
- Holy Week traditions
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Rodeo de Santa Fe
June
- Summer Antiquities Show
June, July and August
- Summer Spanish Market
June, July and August
- Santa Fe International Folk Art Market
July
- Santa Fe Wine Festival
July and August
- Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
July and August
- Santa Fe Opera season
1 July–15 August
- Santa Fe Indian Market
15–21 August
- Burning of Zozobra
August
- Fiesta de Santa Fe
5–14 September
- Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta
September
- Aspen autumn colours
September
- Green chile harvest
September
- Las Posadas
11–20 December
- Farolito Walk
24 December
- Winter art markets (Winter Spanish Market, Winter Antiquities Show)
December
- Santa Fe Film Festival
1–7 December
Worth knowing before you go
- New Year's Day
1 January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
15–21 January, dates vary from year to year
- Holiday season travel rush
January, November and December, dates vary from year to year
- Presidents' Day
15–21 February, dates vary from year to year
- Memorial Day
25–31 May, dates vary from year to year
- Juneteenth
19 June
- Independence Day
4 July
- Indian Market lodging crunch
15–21 August
- Fiesta de Santa Fe crowds
5–14 September
- Wine and Chile Fiesta lodging squeeze
September
- Labor Day
1–7 September, dates vary from year to year
- Columbus Day
8–14 October, dates vary from year to year
- Veterans Day
11 November
- Thanksgiving travel rush
21 November–1 December, dates vary from year to year
- Christmas
24–25 December