Skip to main content

Your nature year

Santa Fe, New Mexicothrough the year

When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Santa Fe?

Spring green-up reaches town around Mar 24, with first blooms around Apr 30. Frost usually lets go around May 14 and comes back around Oct 6, according to the Santa Fe 2 weather station (3 mi): roughly 145 days without it. Head northeast for the closest of the 3 places we follow around Santa Fe. The closest place we follow is Hyde Park Road, 12 miles away, for fall foliage, usually at its best Oct 1–7.

Updated Sep 27. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Best this weekend nearby

Oct 3–Oct 4 · within 150 straight-line miles of Santa Fe
  1. Hyde Park Road · 12 mi · Fall foliage

    Usually Oct 1–7

    Sat Oct 3: Sunny, 61°F · Sun Oct 4: Sunny, 60°F

    No report yet
  2. Great Sand Dunes · 145 mi · Fall foliage

    Usually Sep 21–Oct 10

    Sat Oct 3: Sunny, 67°F · Sun Oct 4: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 64°F

    No report yet

Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service. 1 more nearby place has only regional or statewide timing, so it isn't listed.

Santa Fe's year at a glance

  • Frost possible
  • Frost-free, ~May 14 to ~Oct 6
  • First leaf ~Mar 24
  • First bloom ~Apr 30
  • Today

Near Santa Fe right now

  • First fall frost usually around Oct 6 · last spring frost around May 14NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Santa Fe 2 (3 mi, 50% dates)
    ~8 days
  • Valles Caldera · 32 mi · Local timing: Sep 1–Nov 30Fall foliage · in its window now
    In season
  • Great Sand Dunes · 145 mi · usually Sep 21–Oct 10Fall foliage · in its window now
    In season

Santa Fe's nature year

From the town's own dates and its nearest places
  • Spring green-upMar
  • Last spring frostMay
  • First fall frostOct
  • Fall foliage · Hyde Park RoadOct

Nearby, season by season

Real places within 150 miles, straight-line

Fall foliage

Frost and green-up

Last spring frost

May 14

Average (50% date)

First fall frost

Oct 6

About 145 days without frost between

Spring green-up

Mar 24

First bloom around Apr 30

Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Santa Fe 2 (3 mi from Santa Fe), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.

Questions people ask

When is the first frost in Santa Fe?

On average around Oct 6, and the last spring frost around May 14: about 145 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Santa Fe 2, 3 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).

When does spring green-up reach Santa Fe?

The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 24 and first bloom around Apr 30, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.

Where can I see fall foliage near Santa Fe?

Hyde Park Road, 12 miles (usually Oct 1–7); Valles Caldera, 32 miles (local timing: Sep 1–Nov 30); Great Sand Dunes, 145 miles (usually Sep 21–Oct 10). Distances are straight-line.

How we know

US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27)

All our sources and how we use them →