What Radar and Storm Reports Show for New Mexico
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-09-24 · Updated 2026-09-24
Based on public NOAA and National Weather Service records, published under StormAuditor's methodology and data-source standards. Radar-derived hail sizes are estimates unless attributed to a ground report.
Damage-threshold ranges in this article are general guidance synthesized from industry and federal research — IBHS building-performance research, NWS severe criteria, and product standards such as UL 2218 (hail impact resistance) and ASTM D3161/D7158 (shingle wind ratings). Actual performance depends on product rating, age, installation quality, exposure, and impact characteristics — thresholds describe when damage becomes possible, not when it occurs.
Radar and storm reports sketch a busy year for New Mexico: radar-estimated hail to 4.25 inches, winter gusts to 96 mph, and 3,967 screening-level events across 33 counties in the 12 months through August 25, 2026.
The record opens with a 4.25-inch radar estimate
On August 4, 2026, radar over New Mexico returned its biggest hail signal of the year: a radar-estimated 4.25 inches. That is the largest MESH value in the state's trailing nine months of hail detail. It sits far above the 2.00-inch size the NWS uses for significant severe hail. One number does not make a season, though. The rest of the record points the same direction.
New Mexico logged 3,967 storm events in the 12 months through August 25, 2026. StormAuditor counts an event at its screening thresholds: wind of 45 mph or more, or hail of 0.75 inch or more. The 12-month total breaks down into 2,088 wind events, 1,508 hail events, 554 flood events, and 5 tornado events. Activity reached 33 counties.
What radar shows: five standout hail days
Radar is the widest lens on New Mexico hail. Spotter reports need an observer on the ground. Radar does not. The MRMS MESH product estimates hail size wherever the beam reaches, including empty ranchland.
Five days stand out in the nine-month detail window (November 28, 2025 through August 25, 2026). August 4, 2026 leads with a radar-estimated 4.25 inches. June 25, 2026 follows at a radar-estimated 3.42 inches. May 21, 2026 reached a radar-estimated 3.35 inches. June 12, 2026 produced a radar-estimated 3.07 inches. August 13, 2026 closes the list at a radar-estimated 2.96 inches.
Each figure is a statewide daily maximum, not a single-town measurement. For context, the NWS calls hail severe at 1.00 inch. Every size on this list is well beyond that criterion.
What gust reports show: a winter wind story
Hail in this record peaks from late spring into summer. The strongest measured gusts came in winter. February 19, 2026 produced the top reading at 96 mph. December 19, 2025 reached 91 mph. December 17 and December 20, 2025 each hit 90 mph. So did January 8, 2026. All of those readings are well past the 58 mph NWS severe gust criterion.
The busiest single day of the 12-month window was also wind-driven. February 17, 2026 generated 165 wind events across the state. April 26, 2026 added another 122. Summer then brought the mixed-hazard days. June 2 saw 148 events and July 20 another 148. July 31 logged 141, including tornado activity, and August 1 added 124.
Where the reports cluster
Event counts concentrate in eastern and southern New Mexico. San Miguel County leads the 12-month list with 253 events, 208 of them rated high or severe in StormAuditor's event classification. Otero County follows at 252 events, with 206 at severe criteria. Union County logged 217, Quay 189, Lincoln 187, Guadalupe 164, Roosevelt 157, and Eddy 153.
Zoom into the nine-month detail and the picture sharpens. Lea, Union, and Roosevelt counties each logged 6 screening events. Union's detail shows radar-estimated hail to 1.50 inches and a 57 mph gust. Lea recorded radar-estimated hail to 1.25 inches and a 60 mph gust. Santa Fe and Bernalillo appear as well, at 3 and 2 events. An address lookup shows what this record holds at one specific property.
How StormAuditor estimates it
StormAuditor's SAWE-2 wind engine and SAHE-2 hail engine turn public radar, station, and report data into address-level estimates. Everything published here is an estimate of the public weather record, not a measurement taken at your roofline. The full approach is documented at wind methodology and hail methodology.
Using this record on a claim or inspection
Contractors and adjusters should anchor every file to a date before an address. Pull the candidate storm day first. Then check what the estimates show at the property itself. Homeowners researching an older loss can start with date-of-loss weather research to narrow candidate dates.
Vocabulary matters on these files. A 50 mph gust meets StormAuditor's screening threshold but falls short of the 58 mph NWS severe criterion. Both statements can be true at the same address on the same day. State them together and the file reads cleaner for everyone reviewing it.
Notable storm days
- February 19, 2026 — statewide gust maximum — 96 mph wind
- August 4, 2026 — statewide radar maximum — radar-estimated hail to 4.25 in
- February 17, 2026 — multiple counties — 165 wind events, busiest day of the window
- June 25, 2026 — statewide radar maximum — radar-estimated hail to 3.42 in
- July 31, 2026 — multiple counties — 141 events: flood, hail, tornado, wind
- December 19, 2025 — statewide gust maximum — 91 mph wind
Limitations
These figures are estimates of the public weather record, not on-site measurements. Radar-estimated hail sizes come from MESH, which infers size from reflectivity aloft; surface hail can run smaller or larger. Gust values come from stations and reports that do not cover every ridge or ranch road. County counts reflect where events were detected, not necessarily where every impact occurred. Read the full limitations page before relying on any single number.
FAQ
What is the largest hail radar has estimated in New Mexico recently?
A radar-estimated 4.25 inches on August 4, 2026. That is the top MESH value in the trailing nine months of detail.
Which New Mexico county logged the most storm events over 12 months?
San Miguel County, with 253 events. Of those, 208 carried StormAuditor's high or severe event rating. Otero County was close behind at 252.
Did Union County see hail in 2026?
Yes, per the nine-month detail. Union County logged 6 screening events, with radar-estimated hail to 1.50 inches and a gust to 57 mph.
How strong were New Mexico's winter wind gusts?
The top reading was 96 mph on February 19, 2026. December 2025 brought gusts of 90 to 91 mph on three separate days.
How do I check a specific storm date at my address?
Start with an address lookup, then order a report for the date in question. StormAuditor returns estimates for that property drawn from the public weather record.