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Hail history in New Mexico

NOAA hail reports within 15 miles of the center of Albuquerque since 2010: 30 hail days, largest 1.5 in.

Stucco apartments with flat roofs and solar panels before a monsoon storm
Hail days near Albuquerque since 2010, the most in New Mexico
30
Largest hail reported, near Albuquerque
1.5 in
New Mexico city tracked
1

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

New Mexico cities by hail days

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

CityHail days since 2010Largest hail
Albuquerque301.5 in

About this data

  • Each city counts reports within 15 miles of its center, not of any one property.
  • Reports come from trained spotters and the public, so they cluster near towns and roads.
  • No report does not mean no hail. Hail can fall where no one is there to report it.
  • This is not a damage or insurance assessment.

Storm risk in New Mexico

For commercial and multifamily buildings in New Mexico, hail and damaging wind are the most frequent storm risks, followed by flash flooding, wildfire, tornadoes and the occasional hard freeze. Severe storms are moderate by US standards: the Cannon Air Force Base radar area on the eastern plains ranks 56th of 141 US radar areas for significant severe weather reports per square mile, and the state averages about 10 tornadoes a year, mostly weak.2,4 Drought is a serious threat in this water-scarce state, the state climate summary says, and it feeds wildfire: the 2022 Hermits Peak Fire, the largest on state record, destroyed 700 structures.6

How often storms hit New Mexico

Storm hazards for buildings in New Mexico1,2,3,4,5,6,7,16
HazardHow oftenWhat it means for buildings
Hail30 hail days since 2010 within 15 miles of central Albuquerque, the one New Mexico city on this page, with hail up to 1.5 inches. Hail reports came on 38 days a year around the Cannon Air Force Base radar and 9 days around the Albuquerque radar (1980 to 2006).Roof covers, skylights, windows and rooftop units take the hits, and the same roof can be struck more than once in a season.
Damaging windNWS Albuquerque says high wind events, sustained winds of 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph or more, are relatively common across the state. Thunderstorm wind reports came on 21 days a year around the Cannon Air Force Base radar.Strong wind can damage buildings and uproot trees, lifting roof edges and membranes and toppling rooftop equipment, and it drives grass and forest fires.
TornadoesAbout 10 a year, mostly weak and short-lived; strong tornadoes occur about once every 10 years. At any one point around the Cannon Air Force Base radar, the yearly chance of a tornado is 0.010 percent.A direct hit on one building is rare, but NWS Albuquerque notes tornadoes can severely damage large and small buildings.
FloodingMost summer rain comes from brief, intense monsoon thunderstorms, and a typical station sees about two days a year with an inch of rain or more. In July 2025, monsoon rain on land burned the year before sent the Ruidoso River to record levels and damaged 200 homes.Fast water and debris hit ground floors, parking and site work. FEMA says flood risk stays significantly higher for up to 5 years after a wildfire, even in areas not usually flood-prone.
WildfireMuch of the state has been in drought for most of this century. The 2022 Hermits Peak Fire burned more than 341,000 acres and destroyed 700 structures.IBHS says embers can travel long distances and land on roofs or blow into vents, and a Class A rated roof cover gives the best protection.
Winter storms and hard freezesA statewide average of 4.7 nights a year at 0°F or below, and well over 100 inches of snow a year in the northern mountains. In the February 2021 cold wave, the eastern plains stayed below freezing for seven days in a row, and cold, snow, ice and outages caused catastrophic damage.Heavy snow loads roofs, and burst pipes and frozen sprinkler lines cause water damage.

The city count is days with at least one hail report within 15 miles of Albuquerque's center since 2010, so it shows how often hail falls near the city, not on any one building. The Storm Prediction Center radar figures cover a far larger circle, 124 nautical miles around each radar, and come from 1980 to 2006 reports.1,2,3

For an owner, hail and wind bring the most frequent roof damage, while wildfire and the flash floods that follow it are rarer at any one address but can destroy a building or close a site for months.

Rules owners in New Mexico should know

  • FAIR Plan: the New Mexico Property Insurance Program, the state's FAIR Plan and insurer of last resort, requires a denial in the voluntary market, confirmed by an insured and producer affidavit at application and again at renewal. It covers fire, extended coverage perils including windstorm and hail, and vandalism, at actual cash value only, with no replacement cost. Commercial limits are $2,000,000 per fire division and $5 million per policy, at least 80 percent coinsurance applies to all property except dwellings, and vacant property is not eligible.9,10
  • Catastrophe claims (NMSA 59A-16-20): when a catastrophic loss has been declared, failing to settle all catastrophic claims within 90 days after a catastrophe claim number is assigned is an unfair claims practice. The same section requires insurers to act reasonably promptly on claims and to affirm or deny coverage within a reasonable time after proof of loss, and since 2025 it bars treating an inquiry about damage as a claim when the policy doesn't cover it and nothing is paid.11
  • Right to sue (NMSA 59A-16-30): a person harmed by an insurer's violation of the state's trade practices article may sue in district court for actual damages, and the court may award attorney fees when the insurer willfully committed the violation.12
  • Public adjusters (13.4.8.17 NMAC): they must be licensed and bonded, and the written contract states the fee. No fee may be taken before settlement, after a catastrophic disaster the fee can't exceed 10 percent of the settlement, and the insured may cancel within 3 business days of signing, or 5 calendar days for a catastrophic disaster claim.13,14

Before the next storm

  • FAIR Plan timing: arrange FAIR Plan coverage well before fire season. The plan won't accept new business for a property within 50 miles of an active fire until the fire is at least 90 percent contained.9
  • Wildfire hardening: when a roof is due, choose a Class A fire-rated cover, which IBHS says gives the best protection from embers, and clear flammable material from around buildings, as the Office of Superintendent of Insurance urges. The FAIR Plan may grant premium discounts for mitigation done to IBHS standards.16,15,10
  • Flood after fire: check flood coverage for any site below a burn scar before storms. NFIP coverage usually starts 30 days after purchase, but only one day after when flooding is caused or worsened by a wildfire on federal land and the policy is bought within 60 days of containment.8,7
  • Hail-rated roofs: choose a cover IBHS rates for hail-prone areas, FM 4470 Class 1-SH or UL 2218 Class 4 for low-slope roofs, and fit hail guards over rooftop condenser fins and air intakes. IBHS says hail on unguarded components can impair a unit's operation.16
  • Documents: keep the policy, a property inventory with photos and other key papers in a fire-safe place or offsite. The Office of Superintendent of Insurance says an inventory makes a claim faster and easier to settle.15

Sources

Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.

  1. 1. Cloudbreak: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center storm reports, as counted on the Cloudbreak hail history page for New Mexico
  2. 2. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: FDX (Cannon AFB) Severe Weather Climatology, 1980 to 2006
  3. 3. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: ABX (Albuquerque) Severe Weather Climatology, 1980 to 2006
  4. 4. NWS Albuquerque: NM Weather Hazards
  5. 5. NWS Albuquerque: High Wind Climatology
  6. 6. NOAA NCEI and North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies: New Mexico: 2025 State Climate Summaries
  7. 7. FEMA: Flood Risks Increase After Fires (fact sheet)
  8. 8. FEMA National Flood Insurance Program: What you need to know about buying flood insurance
  9. 9. New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance: New Mexico FAIR Plan (NMPIP) Consumer Guide (January 27, 2026)
  10. 10. New Mexico Property Insurance Program: Underwriting Requirements
  11. 11. New Mexico Statutes (text via Justia): NMSA 59A-16-20: Unfair claims practices defined and prohibited
  12. 12. New Mexico Statutes (text via Justia): NMSA 59A-16-30: Private right of action
  13. 13. New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance (text via Cornell LII): 13.4.8.17 NMAC: Powers and responsibilities of public adjusters
  14. 14. New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance: Public Adjuster Disclosure Form
  15. 15. New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance: Wildfire
  16. 16. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Commercial Roofs Best Practices Guide

Storms in New Mexico

Severe storms peak from April through June, mainly in eastern New Mexico, and become more common statewide in July and August, NWS Albuquerque says.1 Most eastern counties see golf ball to baseball size hail at least 6 to 8 times in the spring and again in the summer storm season, and central and western counties see damaging hail at least twice a year.1

Notable storms

  1. October 19, 2024Storms dropped 4 to 9 inches of rain across Roswell, including a one-day record 5.78 inches at the airport, and flash flooding damaged homes, businesses and city facilities. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $500 million in property damage in Roswell and an estimate of up to 400 homes and 200 businesses with significant damage.2
  2. May 24, 2023From May 24 to 26, storms brought hail up to 3.5 inches across and wind gusts of 80 to 90 mph to eastern New Mexico. Wind damaged townhome roofs in Clovis, and 2.5-inch hail broke the south-facing windows of most buildings in Causey, NOAA's Storm Events Database says.3,4,5
  3. December 15, 2021A December windstorm brought gusts of 70 to 90 mph to the eastern plains and 103 mph at Taos Ski Valley. Near Taos, winds estimated at 80 to 100 mph damaged roofs on six or seven homes along a 2.9-mile path, and NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $5 million in property damage there.6,7
  4. September 17, 2016Hail 2.5 inches across hit Jal and hail up to 2.75 inches hit Artesia, with widespread damage to homes and cars in both towns. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $3.5 million in property damage in Jal and $1 million in Artesia.8,9
  5. June 12, 2012Softball size hail, 4.5 inches across, fell in Portales, Melrose and at Cannon Air Force Base, where it broke skylights. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $250,000 in property damage in Portales and $100,000 in Melrose.10,11,12
  6. October 2, 2010A storm tracking along the East Mountains dropped golf ball size hail on Cedar Crest, damaging roofs and windows on more than 200 houses. At Kewa Pueblo, hail piled 6 to 8 inches deep and several roofs caved in. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $6 million in property damage in Cedar Crest.13,14,15

Warnings and alerts

NWS Albuquerque covers most of New Mexico. NWS El Paso covers Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Otero and Sierra counties, and NWS Midland covers Eddy and Lea counties.16

Sources

  1. 1. NWS Albuquerque: NM Weather Hazards
  2. 2. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Flash Flood, Chaves County, October 19, 2024
  3. 3. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database episode: Eastern New Mexico, May 24 to 26, 2023
  4. 4. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Curry County, May 24, 2023
  5. 5. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Roosevelt County, May 24, 2023
  6. 6. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database episode: New Mexico windstorm, December 15, 2021
  7. 7. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Taos County, December 15, 2021
  8. 8. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Lea County, September 17, 2016
  9. 9. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Eddy County, September 17, 2016
  10. 10. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Roosevelt County, June 12, 2012
  11. 11. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Curry County, June 12, 2012
  12. 12. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Curry County, June 12, 2012
  13. 13. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database episode: East Mountains hail, October 2, 2010
  14. 14. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Bernalillo County, October 2, 2010
  15. 15. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Sandoval County, October 2, 2010
  16. 16. National Weather Service: NWS public forecast zones, Southern Region

Hail history in other states