ERA5 almanac comparison — 8 years of real data
Big Sur vs Santa Fe: weather in September
Santa Fe edges out Big Sur for sun in September: 50% clear historically versus 35% (8-year ERA5 average, a 15-point gap). Both are viable — Santa Fe is the safer bet.
What you are reading: 8-year historical averages, not a forecast.
Either destination can still surprise you this specific September. For this
week’s actual forecast, each destination links to its live page below.
Big Sur
CA
- Clear days, September
- 35%
- Sample size
- n=240 days
- Avg high
- 72°F
- Early September (1st–15th)
- 40%
- Late September (16th–end)
- 30%
- Rain frequency
- 4% of days
Santa Fe
NM
- Clear days, September
- 50%
- Sample size
- n=240 days
- Avg high
- 76°F
- Early September (1st–15th)
- 50%
- Late September (16th–end)
- 50%
- Rain frequency
- 16% of days
Compare Big Sur vs Santa Fe in another month
All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.