2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Palm Desert, CA vs Santa Fe, NM

Highlights

On average, there are 283 sunny days per year in Santa Fe. Palm Desert averages 269 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Santa Fe, New Mexico gets 15.1 inches of rain, on average, per year. Palm Desert, California gets 4.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Santa Fe averages 26.2 inches of snow per year. Palm Desert averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Summer High: the July high is around 86.1 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 18.1
Rain: averages 15.1 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 26.2 inches of snow a year

Palm Desert, California
Summer High: the July high is around 107.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45.3
Rain: averages 4.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Santa Fe is 7.5 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in New Mexico.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Palm Desert is 7.4 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in California.

Today's Weather - Palm Desert, CA

72°F

Today's Weather - Santa Fe, NM

59°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Palm Desert / Santa Fe

July is the hottest month for Palm Desert with an average high temperature of 107.6°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in California. In Palm Desert, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Palm Desert are November, March and February.

July is the hottest month for Santa Fe with an average high temperature of 86.1°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in New Mexico. In Santa Fe, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Santa Fe are September, May and August.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Palm Desert with an average of 44.2°. This is warmer than most places in California.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Fe with an average of 18.1°. This is about average compared to other places in New Mexico.

In Palm Desert, there are 175.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in California.

In Santa Fe, there are 17.1 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in New Mexico.

In Palm Desert, there are 1.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

In Santa Fe, there are 159.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in New Mexico.

In Palm Desert, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Santa Fe, there are 1.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in New Mexico.

February is the wettest month in Palm Desert with 0.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is June with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 54% of yearly precipitation and 11% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 4.7 inches in Palm Desert means that it is one of the driest places in California.


August is the wettest month in Santa Fe with 2.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 0.6 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 42% of yearly precipitation and 14% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 15.1 inches in Santa Fe means that it is wetter than most places in New Mexico.

January is the rainiest month in Palm Desert with 2.8 days of rain, and June is the driest month with only 0.1 rainy days. There are 13.5 rainy days annually in Palm Desert, which is one of the least rainy places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 53% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 10% chance of a rainy day.

August is the rainiest month in Santa Fe with 10.4 days of rain, and January is the driest month with only 3.6 rainy days. There are 65.7 rainy days annually in Santa Fe, which is rainier than most places in New Mexico. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 40% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 18% chance of a rainy day.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Palm Desert, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

An annual snowfall of 26.2 inches in Santa Fe means that it is snowier than most places in New Mexico.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Palm Desert.

December is the snowiest month in Santa Fe with 7.3 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.