AI-generatedSanta Fe at a glance
- Best time
- Apr – May, Sep – Oct
- Warmest month
- Jul · 28°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,850 h
- Rain a year
- 284 mm
- Climate
- Continental
- Time zone
- UTC−7 / UTC−6
- Elevation
- 2,132 m
Climate in Santa Fe
Santa Fe has warm to hot summers and cold winters with occasional snow. July is the warmest month with average highs of 28 °C, while January is the coolest at 4 °C. With around 2,850 hours of sunshine a year, Santa Fe is sunny; June is the sunniest month with 9.9 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Excellent
Best time to visit: April – May, September – October
Good forSightseeing & walks
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 7°
- Midday, 13:00: about 16°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 16°
- Evening, 20:00: about 11°
- Night, 23:00: about 8°
07:0918:30
Cold evenings: bring a warm jacket.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
Light for photos in October
- Golden hour
- Morning 06:53–07:43 · evening 17:55–18:45
- Blue hour
- Morning 06:43–06:53 · evening 18:45–18:55
Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.
What is the weather like in Santa Fe in October?
In October, Santa Fe is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 31 mm in total. All in all, October is an excellent month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 21 min07:09 – 18:30
- UV index
- 6 · highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 17 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 28 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 1 day1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−6America/Denver
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %70 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %94 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Mountain air”.
What to pack in October
- Sunscreen
- A jumper for the evenings
Sunshine hours in Santa Fe
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 7.2 of 11.3 hours of daylight in Santa Fe, 64 % of the day.
Sunshine hours: estimated from radiation data (ERA5, 1996–2025) and calibrated against measured station values; no weather station is close enough here. Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
UV index in Santa Fe
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 6 · highSeek shade around midday; sunscreen SPF 30+, hat and sunglasses.
The sun is strongest in June (UV 12).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 25 min
- Fair skin
- about 30 min
- Light brown skin
- about 40 min
- Olive skin
- about 50 min
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen it, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Rain in Santa Fe: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Santa Fe has about 5 rainy days with 31 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in Santa Fe
How breezy and how cloudy Santa Fe is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.
Wind
Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.
In October, the wind in Santa Fe typically peaks at 17 km/h during the day: Beaufort 3, light breeze.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 28 % of the sky over Santa Fe: mostly sunny, with about 7.2 hours of sunshine a day.
Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.
Heat and humidity in Santa Fe
How often the day gets hot in Santa Fe (30 °C and more), and in which months heat and humidity come together. Tap a month to select it.
Heat calendar
- pleasant
- some hot or muggy days
- often muggy
- often hot
- hot and muggy
In October, Santa Fe has about 0 hot days, with an average daytime high of 17 °C: pleasant. Heat plays no part this month.
Hot days reach at least 30 °C; a month counts as muggy when the mean dew point reaches 18 °C on at least 15 days. Averages from ERA5 and ERA5-Land, 1996–2025. Muggy nights through the year
Snow in Santa Fe
Snow is possible in Santa Fe, but no month makes it likely: the chance of seeing snow during a week's stay, the days with fresh snow and how much falls. Tap a month to select it.
Snow calendar
- hardly any
- possible
- likely
- very likely
In October, Santa Fe has about 1 days with at least 1 cm of fresh snow, 2 cm in total. The chance of seeing snow during a week's stay is 7 out of 100: hardly any.
Snow days bring at least 1 cm of fresh snow. Fresh snow comes from ERA5 snowfall (1996–2025) at the height of the place, not on the slopes above it; the snow chance also weighs whether the snow settles. An estimate from climate averages, not a snow report.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Santa Fe
How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.
- Frost below 0°
- Cold 0–8°
- Cool 8–15°
- Pleasant 15–20°
ColdOctober: nights around 4°. The room should be heated.
The coolest nights are in January (−8°), the warmest in July (15°). Nights are pleasant for sleeping (15 to 20 °C) in July. Nights fall below 8 °C on average from October to April, so the room should be heated.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 40 | 4° | −8° | 6.3 h | 4 | 19 |
| FebruaryFeb | 44 | 7° | −6° | 6.8 h | 5 | 18 |
| MarchMar | 70 | 11° | −2° | 7.8 h | 5 | 24 |
| AprilApr | 99 | 16° | 2° | 8.6 h | 4 | 21 |
| MayMay | 99 | 22° | 8° | 9.6 h | 4 | 19 |
| JuneJun | 83 | 27° | 13° | 9.9 h | 4 | 18 |
| JulyJul | 68 | 28° | 15° | 8.8 h | 8 | 36 |
| AugustAug | 79 | 27° | 14° | 8.4 h | 7 | 31 |
| SeptemberSep | 95 | 23° | 11° | 8.0 h | 5 | 26 |
| OctoberOct | 92 | 17° | 4° | 7.2 h | 5 | 31 |
| NovemberNov | 63 | 10° | −2° | 6.3 h | 4 | 20 |
| DecemberDec | 39 | 5° | −7° | 5.8 h | 4 | 22 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
35.69° N, 105.94° W · 2,132 m · America/Denver
Best time to visit Santa Fe
The best time to visit Santa Fe is from April to May and from September to October. Hiking and mountain trips are best from April to May and from August to October, when the trails are largely free of snow. The wettest month is July with 36 mm of precipitation.
Santa Fe through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Santa Fe in spring
Mar – May
Excellent
- 11–22 °C by day
- 9 h of sun a day
- 14 rainy days in all
Santa Fe in summer
Jun – Aug
Good
- 27–28 °C by day
- 9 h of sun a day
- 19 rainy days in all
Santa Fe in autumn
Sep – Nov
Excellent
- 10–23 °C by day
- 7 h of sun a day
- 13 rainy days in all
Santa Fe in winter
Dec – Feb
Fair
- 4–7 °C by day
- 6 h of sun a day
- 14 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Santa Fe for you.
Your best months: May
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in Santa Fe
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
April has the better holiday weather in Santa Fe: score 99 against 92. In April, days are 1 °C cooler than in October. April has one rainy day fewer. The sun shines an hour longer a day in April.
| Month | October | April |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 92 | 99better |
| Day high | 17° | 16° |
| Night low | 4° | 2° |
| Sunshine | 7.2 h | 8.6 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 5 | 4better |
| Rainfall | 31 mm | 21 mmbetter |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Which month for what?
Hiking & mountain trips
Apr – May, Aug – Oct
13–27 °C in the village, little snow
Snow
Dec – Mar
Snow on 2 or more days
Santa Fe month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
40January4° · 6 h
In January, Santa Fe is cold: daytime highs average 4 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−8 °C). Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 19 mm in total. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, January is a so-so month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in January44February7° · 7 h
In February, Santa Fe is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−6 °C). The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 18 mm in total. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, February is a so-so month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in February70March11° · 8 h
In March, Santa Fe is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−2 °C). The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 5 days, adding up to 24 mm. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, March is a good month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in March99April16° · 9 h
In April, Santa Fe is mild: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sun shines for around 9 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 21 mm in total. All in all, April is an excellent month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in April99May22° · 10 h
In May, Santa Fe is warm: daytime highs average 22 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. With around 10 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 19 mm in total. All in all, May is an excellent month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in May83June27° · 10 h
In June, Santa Fe is hot: daytime highs average 27 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. With around 10 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 18 mm in total. On about 6 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, June is an excellent month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in June68July28° · 9 h
In July, Santa Fe is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 15 °C. The sun shines for around 9 hours a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 36 mm. On about 9 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, July is a good month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in July79August27° · 8 h
In August, Santa Fe is warm: daytime highs average 27 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 31 mm. All in all, August is a good month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in August95September23° · 8 h
In September, Santa Fe is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 26 mm in total. All in all, September is an excellent month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in September92October17° · 7 h
In October, Santa Fe is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 31 mm in total. All in all, October is an excellent month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in October63November10° · 6 h
In November, Santa Fe is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−2 °C). Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 20 mm in total. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, November is a good month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in November39December5° · 6 h
In December, Santa Fe is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−7 °C). Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 22 mm in total. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe in DecemberSanta Fe compared
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Santa Fe vs. Albuquerque
In October the holiday weather in Santa Fe and Albuquerque is about equally good (score 92 vs. 95). During the day Albuquerque is 5 °C warmer than Santa Fe. Albuquerque gets one more hour of sunshine a day.
| in October | Santa Fe | Albuquerque |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 92 | 95 |
| Daytime high | 17° | 22° |
| Sunshine | 7 h | 8 h |
| Rainy days | 5 | 5 |
| Best time | Apr – May, Sep – Oct | Mar – May, Sep – Oct |
Through the year
USA in October: the best places
In October, Santa Fe ranks 8 among the 31 nearest destinations in this country.
- Las Vegas26°99
- 2El Paso26°97
- 3Sedona23°97
- 4Page (Lake Powell)21°96
- 5Moab21°95
- 6Albuquerque22°94
- 7Flagstaff (Grand Canyon)18°93
- 8Santa FeThis page17°92
Planning a trip to Santa Fe
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Santa Fe in the school holidays
How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.
Santa Fe has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 96) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 40).
- 90
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Excellent
- 15 °C by day
- 8.4 h of sun a day
- 4 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Snow
- 96
May half-term
May – Jun
ExcellentBest holidays
- 23 °C by day
- 9.7 h of sun a day
- 4 rainy days a month
Good for: Sightseeing & walks
- 75
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Good
- 27 °C by day
- 8.5 h of sun a day
- 7 rainy days a month
- 92
October half-term
Oct
Excellent
- 17 °C by day
- 7.2 h of sun a day
- 5 rainy days a month
Good for: Sightseeing & walks
- 40
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Fair
- 5 °C by day
- 6.1 h of sun a day
- 4 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Snow
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 10 h 5 min
- Distance
- 7,920 km
- Time zone
- UTC−6
- Jet lag
- About 5 days (7 h west)
Rule of thumb for flying west: for a few days before, stay up a little later, and get afternoon and evening light at your destination.
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Santa Fe
When is the best time to visit Santa Fe?
The best time to visit Santa Fe is from April to May and from September to October. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
What is the warmest month in Santa Fe?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C and nights around 15 °C. January is the coolest month at 4 °C.
When does it rain most in Santa Fe?
The wettest month is July with 36 mm of precipitation. The driest month is June with 18 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Santa Fe get?
Santa Fe gets around 2,850 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is June with 9.9 hours a day; in December there are 5.8 hours a day.
What time zone is Santa Fe in?
Santa Fe uses the time zone America/Denver: UTC−7 in January and UTC−6 in July.
How long is the flight from London to Santa Fe?
A nonstop flight from London to Santa Fe takes about 10 h 5 min, for a straight-line distance of about 7,920 km.
Which school holidays are best for Santa Fe?
Santa Fe has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 96) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 40). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 90, May half-term 96, Summer holidays 75, October half-term 92, Christmas holidays 40.
Near Santa Fe
Other destinations close by.
Places with a climate like Santa Fe
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Santa Fe's – good alternatives.