Skip to main content
SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Santa Fe in August

Santa Fe in August is a mixed month for sun: 47% of days historically clear (n=248, avg high 82°F). The outcome varies year to year — check the early/late split below. Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live Santa Fe page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late August

Clear-sky percentage for Santa Fe in August, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early August
1st–15th		 47% n=120 82°F
Late August
16th–end		 47% n=128 82°F
Full month average 47% n=248 82°F

Sunshine & warmth in August

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for Santa Fe in August. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early August
1st–15th		 99% n=120
Late August
16th–end		 97% n=128
Full month average 98% n=248
12.7 h median sunshine per day 98% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 24% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 47%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 98%. The 51-point gap is from brief afternoon convective storms that stamp the whole day as “rain” in the WMO code but leave the bulk of the sunshine untouched.

Bottom line

Santa Fe in August is genuinely mixed: 47% of days historically clear (n=248), avg high 82°F — roughly even odds. The outcome varies year to year; don't book if you need guaranteed sun.

Every month in Santa Fe

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for Santa Fe, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 0% n=226 All destinations →
March 0% n=248 All destinations →
April 8% n=240 All destinations →
May 41% n=248 All destinations →
June 58% n=240 All destinations →
July 41% n=248 All destinations →
August ← this page 47% n=248 All destinations →
September 50% n=240 All destinations →
October 14% n=248 All destinations →
November 0% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

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.