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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Santa Fe in May

Santa Fe in May is a mixed month for sun: 41% of days historically clear (n=248, avg high 72°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 May

Clear-sky percentage for Santa Fe in May, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early May
1st–15th		 35% n=120 72°F
Late May
16th–end		 46% n=128 72°F
Full month average 41% n=248 72°F

Sunshine & warmth in May

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 May. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early May
1st–15th		 41% n=120
Late May
16th–end		 64% n=128
Full month average 53% n=248
13.8 h median sunshine per day 97% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 19% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 41%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 53%. The 12-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 May is genuinely mixed: 41% of days historically clear (n=248), avg high 72°F — more cloudy than clear. 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 ← this page 41% n=248 All destinations →
June 58% n=240 All destinations →
July 41% n=248 All destinations →
August 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.