Santa Fe weather in December: Santa Fe, New Mexico: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Santa Fe in December has a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 20°F, a daily mean of 32°F, falling from 47°F on the 1st to 43°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal December, 0.50 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 7°C and low of −7°C, 13 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationSanta Fe County Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00023049
- Location35.62°N 106.09°W
- Elevation6,344 ft (1,934 m)
- Population90,551
- Jan 44° 20°
- Feb 50° 23°
- Mar 59° 28°
- Apr 66° 34°
- May 76° 43°
- Jun 87° 52°
- Jul 89° 58°
- Aug 86° 56°
- Sep 80° 49°
- Oct 68° 38°
- Nov 54° 27°
- Dec 44° 20°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Santa Fe in December?
The normal high is 44°F and the normal low 20°F, for a daily mean of 31.6°F. December is 8.6°F cooler than November and 0.5°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Santa Fe and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 4°F, from 47°F on December 1 to 43°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 29°F and 34°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 13%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 47°F | 22°F | 12% | 5% |
| December 8 | 45°F | 20°F | 13% | 5% |
| December 15 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% |
| December 22 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% |
| December 31 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 24)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 47°F | 22°F | 12% | 5% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 47°F | 22°F | 13% | 5% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 47°F | 21°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 46°F | 21°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 46°F | 21°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 46°F | 21°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 45°F | 21°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 45°F | 20°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 45°F | 20°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 44°F | 20°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 44°F | 20°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 44°F | 20°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 44°F | 20°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 44°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 42°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 42°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 42°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 42°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 42°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 42°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 42°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 43°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 44°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 20°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.50 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 81%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00023049; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Santa Fe in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 13% on average, highest around December 13 (13%). In all, 0.50 in falls on 4 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Santa Fe, 31 nights fall to freezing and 3 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00023049.
What are the records for December in Santa Fe?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1941) is 64°F, on December 24, 2025; the coldest is −7°F, on December 22, 1949. The wettest December brought 1.32 in (2007); the snowiest, 9.1 inches (1943).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 31.6°F: 2021 36.8°F (+5.2), 2022 32.5°F (+0.9), 2023 35.6°F (+4.0), 2024 37.7°F (+6.1), 2025 40.4°F (+8.8). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36.8°F | +5.2°F | 1.02 in |
| 2022 | 32.5°F | +0.9°F | 0.43 in |
| 2023 | 35.6°F | +4.0°F | 0.92 in |
| 2024 | 37.7°F | +6.1°F | 0.05 in |
| 2025 | 40.4°F | +8.8°F | 0.00 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00023049; recent months: ACIS, station USW00023049. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Santa Fe compare across New Mexico?
Across the 98 places PlainClimate covers in New Mexico, December normal highs run from 35°F in Red River to 60°F in Jal; Santa Fe's is 44°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.