Santa Fe weather in September

In September, Santa Fe sees average daytime highs of 74°F and overnight lows near 51°F, with 1.0 in of rain across 4.7 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 78°F in the first days to 71°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Santa Fe's 2nd-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Fe's year-round climate.

Daytime high
74°
4th warmest
Overnight low
51°
9th coldest
Rainfall
1.0 in
4.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:51 AM – 6:05 PM
Cloud cover
32%
2nd clearest
Wind
5 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.2
out of 10

Santa Fe is capital city of the U.S. state of New Mexico and seat of Santa Fe County.

Density
645/km²
people per km²
Founded
1610

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 78°F in the first days to 71°F by the end.

A typical September day in Santa Fe reaches about 74°F in the afternoon and slips back to 51°F overnight — a 23°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 66°F and 82°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 6°F cooler than August and about 11°F warmer than October.

40°60°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17955
27855
37855
47855
57854
67754
77754
87653
97653
107653
117653
127552
137552
147552
157451
167451
177451
187450
197350
207350
217349
227349
237349
247248
257248
267248
277247
287147
297147
307146

How September really feels in Santa Fe

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

September sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Santa Fe weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan41° / 19°0.94.449.90.1
Feb45° / 24°0.854.210.61.2
Mar54° / 30°1.05.42.811.73.7
Apr62° / 37°0.94.51.412.96.1
May71° / 46°0.84.80.113.97.8
Jun81° / 55°0.63.7014.47.6
Jul83° / 59°1.48014.26.3
Aug80° / 57°1.38013.37.1
Sep74° / 51°1.04.7012.28.2
Oct64° / 40°1.24.60.711.16.7
Nov51° / 29°0.84.1210.13.0
Dec41° / 20°1.04.54.19.60.2

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 16%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18218
28218
38218
48218
58218
68317
78218
88218
98317
108317
118317
128317
138317
148317
158317
168416
178416
188416
198515
208515
218614
228614
238614
248614
258614
268614
278614
288614
298614
308515

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Santa Fe gets around 1.0 in of rain over 4.7 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 16% and peaks near 18% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
118
218
318
418
518
618
718
818
918
1018
1118
1218
1318
1417
1517
1617
1716
1815
1915
2014
2114
2213
2313
2413
2512
2612
2713
2813
2913
3013

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of September feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, September lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000

Wind in September

Winds average 5 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:40 AM to 6:03 AM, and sunset from 6:27 PM to 5:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:406:27
212.85:406:26
312.75:416:24
412.75:426:23
512.65:436:21
612.65:446:20
712.65:446:18
812.55:456:17
912.55:466:15
1012.55:476:14
1112.45:486:12
1212.45:486:11
1312.35:496:09
1412.35:506:08
1512.35:516:06
1612.25:516:05
1712.25:526:03
1812.15:536:02
1912.15:546:00
2012.15:555:59
2112.05:555:57
2212.05:565:56
2312.05:575:54
2411.95:585:53
2511.95:595:51
2611.85:595:50
2711.86:005:48
2811.86:015:46
2911.76:025:45
3011.76:035:44

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 5.96 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.07 kWh/m² to a high of 8.17 kWh/m² in June across the year — September's 5.96 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.0Intense
126.0Intense
136.0Bright
146.0Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Santa Fe?

Our two travel scores rate September for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

8.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

September is one of the better times to visit Santa Fe for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Santa Fe in September

From September's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In September, Santa Fe sees daytime highs around 74°F and nights near 51°F. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Santa Fe in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Fe peaks around June 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 12Dec 18UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar7Very high
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Santa Fe in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where September falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Santa Fe is worst in May — around 41 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 6.7× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodMay 1838 µg/m³Nov 206 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb8Good
Mar8Good
Apr11Good
May41Poor
Jun19Moderate
Jul9Good
Aug9Good
Sep8Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Fe?

Santa Fe sits at 35.7°N, 105.9°W, 6,995 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Enchanted Hills, 44 mi away.

Topography around Santa Fe

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Santa Fe.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Santa Fe has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 820 ft around an average of 7,103 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,387 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,969 ft.

The land around Santa Fe is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) and trees (43%) within 2 miles, trees (51%) and grassland (34%) within 10 miles, and trees (47%) and grassland (41%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
820 ft
10 miles
5,387 ft
50 miles
7,969 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrain
September weather nearby: Enchanted Hills 44 mi · Rio Rancho 52 mi · Albuquerque 58 mi · South Valley 63 mi · Los Lunas 76 mi · Farmington 146 mi · Durango 154 mi · Gallup 158 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Santa Fe (35.687°, -105.9378°, elevation 6,995 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).