Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 26 hail storms within 25 miles of Rio Rancho, NM. Of those, 10 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was ping pong ball-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2023 was the most active year on record locally, with 9 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Rio Rancho| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 1 event | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 9 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 16 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 events |
| 2025 | 8 events |
| 2024 | 5 events |
| 2023 | 9 events |
| 2022 | 2 events |
2023 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Rio Rancho, with 9 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Rio Rancho typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-03 | 1 S Sedillo, NM | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2026-06-03 | CEDAR CREST, NM | Moderate | 0.75" | An NWS employee in Sedillo observed penny size hail from a strong thunderstorm. |
| 2025-09-28 | SANDIA PARK, NM | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail reported by a former NWS Employee. |
| 2025-07-12 | SANDIA PARK, NM | Moderate | 0.88" | A spotter observed nickel size hail accumulations of 6 to 8 inches deep from a severe thunderstorm. The hail resulted in widespread damage to vegetation, homes, and vehicles. |
| 2025-07-06 | SANDIA PARK, NM | Significant | 1.00" | Penny to quarter size hail from a severe thunderstorm was observed a few miles east of Sandia Park. |
| 2025-07-06 | SANDIA PARK, NM | Significant | 1.00" | Nickel to quarter size hail was observed at Sandia Park from a severe thunderstorm. |
| 2025-06-09 | SANDIA PARK, NM | Significant | 1.25" | Several observers in Sandia Park observed hail ranging from 1/2 inch to half dollar size in Sandia Park along NM 14 from a severe thunderstorm. |
| 2025-06-09 | CEDAR CREST, NM | Moderate | 0.88" | A NWS employee in Sedillo just south of I-40 observed hail as large as nickel size from a strong to severe thunderstorm. |
| 2025-06-02 | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | Moderate | 0.88" | Nickel size hail was observed in the Sawmill neighborhood of Albuquerque from a strong thunderstorm. |
| 2025-05-04 | PARADISE HILLS, NM | Severe | 1.50" | Video of broadcast media showed hailstones of a quarter to ping-pong ball size around Cottonwood Mall. |
| 2024-09-05 | CEDAR CREST, NM | Significant | 1.00" | A severe thunderstorm produced quarter size hail near Sedillo. |
| 2024-09-05 | SANDIA PARK, NM | Moderate | 0.75" | A strong thunderstorm produced penny size hail at Sandia Park. |
| 2024-07-08 | SAN YSIDRO, NM | Moderate | 0.88" | A public spotter observed nickel size hail near San Ysidro from a strong thunderstorm. |
| 2024-06-29 | CEDAR CREST, NM | Moderate | 0.75" | Hail slightly larger than penny size accumulated up to 2 deep. Significant erosion. There were still piles of hail under downspouts 14 hours after the storm. Damage reported to home. |
| 2024-05-11 | (AEG)DOUBLE EAGLE II AIRPORT, NM | Moderate | 0.75" | A thunderstorm produced pea to penny sized hail across southwest sections of Albuquerque. |
| 2023-09-18 | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2023-09-18 | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2023-09-18 | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2023-08-08 | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2023-08-08 | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
NOAA has recorded 34 high-wind events within 25 miles of Rio Rancho, NM in the past five years. Of those, 34 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 78 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 11 events |
| Significant | 23 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | 4 NE South Valley, NM | 60 | Significant | ASOS station KABQ Albuquerque Intl Sunport. |
| 2026-07-25 | 4 NE South Valley, NM | 78 | Severe | ASOS station KABQ Albuquerque Intl Sunport. |
| 2026-07-22 | 4 NE South Valley, NM | 50 | Significant | ASOS station KABQ Albuquerque Intl Sunport. |
| 2026-06-25 | 8 S Carnuel, NM | 59 | Significant | FACT site. |
| 2026-06-25 | CARNUEL, NM | 59 | Significant | A public weather station measured a 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust. |
| 2026-06-25 | 2 WSW Bernalillo, NM | 60 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-25 | EL LLANITO, NM | 64 | Severe | Public weather stations measured severe thunderstorm wind gusts that also produced blowing dust resulting in near zero visibility through portions of Rio Rancho. |
| 2026-06-25 | 2 E Bernalillo, NM | 65 | Severe | Anasazi Meadows. |
| 2026-06-14 | PARADISE HILLS, NM | 60 | Significant | A trained spotter estimated 50 to 60 mph thunderstorm wind gusts in Rio Rancho alongside dime size hail. |
| 2026-06-14 | Northern Meadows, NM | 60 | Significant | Estimated 50-60mph peak wind gust alongside dime size hail. |
| 2026-06-08 | PARADISE HILLS, NM | 66 | Severe | A Wunderground station near Petroglyph National Monument in western Albuquerque measured a 66 mph wind gust caused by a virga induced microburst. |
| 2026-06-08 | 2 N Petroglyph National, NM | 66 | Severe | Virga induced wind gust measured by a Wunderground station in Montecito Vistas neighborhood. |
| 2026-04-26 | 4 NE South Valley, NM | 62 | Significant | ASOS station KABQ Albuquerque Intl Sunport. |
| 2025-09-12 | PARADISE HILLS, NM | 58 | Significant | A 58 mph wind gust was observed on the West Mesa of Albuquerque along the leading edge of a line of thunderstorms. |
| 2025-07-12 | (ABQ)ALBUQUERQUE INTL AIRPORT, NM | 66 | Severe | The ASOS at the Albuquerque Sunport measured a 65 mph wind gust from nearby severe thunderstorms. |
| 2025-06-30 | KIRTLAND AFB, NM | 68 | Severe | A convectively induced outflow gust that funneled through the Tijeras Canyon induced a severe wind gust of 59 mph. No lightning was observed at the Sunport. |
| 2025-06-30 | KIRTLAND AFB, NM | 66 | Severe | A convectively induced outflow gust that funneled through the Tijeras Canyon reached a peak gust of 66 mph. No lightning was observed at the Sunport. |
| 2025-05-19 | CORRALES, NM | 49 | Significant | Strong wind gusts from showers resulted in a down tree on the north end of Corrales Road near Mountain View Road. |
| 2025-05-19 | CORRALES, NM | 49 | Significant | Small to medium sized branches down on a ditch dirt road between Ranchitos Road and Coronado Road due to strong winds from showers in the area. |
| 2025-05-19 | CORRALES, NM | 49 | Significant | Strong wind gusts from showers resulted in a downed tree on a property fence in an alleyway on Hollywood Road off of Loma Larga Road. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Rio Rancho was on September 28, 2025. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Rio Rancho averages roughly 5 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 10 of the 26 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Rio Rancho in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Rio Rancho-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in NM cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Rio Rancho. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Rio Rancho took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationRio Rancho sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.