Santa Fe Air Quality in December
Across 2019–2025, Santa Fe's December air quality had a median AQI of 36 (Good) over 216 monitored days in the Santa Fe, NM area. 0.0% of December days (0 of 216) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 94.0% of days. The cleanest December on record here was 2023 (median AQI 33, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 38, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 58).
- Good: 98.6%
- Moderate: 1.4%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Santa Fe
Today's main pollutant in Santa Fe is ground-level ozone (AQI 35). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How is the air in Santa Fe in December?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 36 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of December days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓98.6% of December days were Good (AQI 0–50), 1.4% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 216 reached AQI 101+; the December peak was 58.
- ✓Best December: 2023; worst December: 2021.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Santa Fe in December?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Santa Fe in December was 36 (Good). 98.6% of days were Good, 1.4% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 216 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is December a good time for outdoor exercise in Santa Fe?▾
A typical December day in Santa Fe sits in the Good range (median AQI 36), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Santa Fe's December air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 94.0% of December days in Santa Fe. The highest December AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 58 (Moderate), in 2021.
Santa Fe December air quality, year by year
Santa Fe December air quality by year (Santa Fe, NM, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 37 | 0 | 44 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 37 | 0 | 52 | O3 |
| 2021worst | 31 | 38 | 0 | 58 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 42 | O3 |
| 2023cleanest | 30 | 33 | 0 | 45 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 42 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 33 | 0 | 38 | O3 |
What December air means in Santa Fe
A typical December day in Santa Fe sits in the Good range (median AQI 36), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
December's median AQI of 36 is below Santa Fe's whole-year median of 44, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median December AQI across every EPA metro area (95,590 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Santa Fe runs in line with the national December norm; 0.0% of its December days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
December is part of Santa Fe's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Santa Fe
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Santa Fe's AQI at 35 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Santa Fe air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Santa Fe, NM), 2019–2025. Daily AQI per CBSA is the highest AQI reported by any monitor in the area that day; the defining parameter is the pollutant that set it. Month and season statistics pool every such day in the period across all years listed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.