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Hail in Otero County, New Mexico
123 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Otero County, New Mexico, has 123 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 38 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 35 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 73 events against 33 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.3% of the 5,297 hail events recorded in New Mexico; its 1.9 per 100 square miles compares with 4.4 statewide.
23 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 3.50 inches (tea cup size).
Compared with New Mexico
| Measure | Otero County | New Mexico | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 123 | 5,297 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.9 | 4.4 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 17.9 | 25.0 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 3 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
0Mar
1Apr
4May
35Jun
26Jul
23Aug
7Sep
14Oct
9Nov
1Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 123 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun 2026 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Hail | 3.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Sep 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2025 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2023 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2021 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2021 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2021 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2020 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2020 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2020 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2020 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2019 | Hail | 1.50 in | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2019 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2019 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2019 | Hail | 1.75 in | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 2019 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2018 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jan 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jan 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jan 2017 | Hail | 1.25 in | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2016 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2016 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2016 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2016 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2016 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Oct 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Oct 2015 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Oct 2015 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 2015 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 2015 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2013 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2013 | Hail | 1.75 in | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2012 | Hail | 0.70 in | $10 | $10 | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2012 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2012 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2012 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2012 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Oct 2010 | Hail | 1.50 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Oct 2010 | Hail | 2.75 in | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2010 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Aug 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2008 | Hail | 1.75 in | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2008 | Hail | 2.00 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2008 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2008 | Hail | 2.50 in | $2.5M | $20K | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Oct 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Sep 2004 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Sep 2004 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2003 | Hail | 1.00 in | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2003 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2003 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2003 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Oct 2002 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1999 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1999 | Hail | 3.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1992 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1991 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1991 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1989 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Nov 1988 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 1988 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1988 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1987 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 1977 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1977 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1975 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 1974 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1969 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1969 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1969 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1969 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1967 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1965 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 1965 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1965 | Hail | 2.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 1962 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1960 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1960 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 1959 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1959 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Otero County had?
123 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Otero County?
2 Jun 2026 (Hail, 3.50 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Otero County?
The hail of 28 May 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M and crop damage at $20K.
How does Otero County compare with New Mexico for hail?
1.9 events per 100 square miles against 4.4 statewide; the county holds 123 of the state's 5,297 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.