Farmington, NM Hail Storm – September 2026

A hail-producing thunderstorm tracked through Farmington, NM on September 18, 2026, producing 1.5-inch stones and producing a spotter-verified quarter-sized hail report in the early afternoon.

What Happened

A mPING submission at 1:15 PM MDT (19:15 UTC) reported quarter-sized hail (1.00 in.). NWS issued five hail alerts for the Farmington warning area between 1:17 PM MDT (19:17 UTC) and 4:31 PM MDT (22:31 UTC). Several of those alerts were based on dual-polarization radar hail detections across the metro.

Dual-polarization radar returned repeated hail signatures beginning in the early afternoon. NWS radar-derived hail points were reported at roughly 1:42 PM MDT (19:42 UTC), 2:32 PM MDT (20:32 UTC), 4:12 PM MDT (22:12 UTC) and again at 4:31 PM MDT (22:31 UTC). The final radar-derived hail detection registered slightly above one inch at 4:31 PM MDT. The spotter submission predates the first radar-only detection and provides ground truth for the initial hail cores.

The event ran from early afternoon into late afternoon. Warnings and radar detections tracked through the Farmington warning area rather than across isolated rural counties alone, producing multiple hail points within the metro boundary. Field observation and radar detections together locate the strongest hail signatures over the Farmington metro during the alert window.

Damage Assessment

Field reports for the event were limited. The single mPING entry from 1:15 PM MDT cited quarter-sized hail. No additional Local Storm Reports of structural failure or large-loss impacts were filed for the Farmington metro during the event window. Radar-detected hail points near and within the warning area indicate where larger hail was most likely to reach the surface; those radar hits clustered over portions of the metro between early afternoon and late afternoon.

Given the available ground reports, documented surface impacts remain localized. There are no verified NWS damage reports tied to roofs, vehicles, or agricultural losses in the Farmington metro for this storm in the public record. Contractors and field crews should treat this as a limited-impact event until site inspections indicate otherwise.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize visual roof and vehicle inspections for properties within the Farmington warning area and along the radar-detected hail track. Start with properties nearest the 1:15 PM MDT spotter location and expand outward to addresses that fell inside the NWS warning area between 1:17 PM MDT and 4:31 PM MDT. Use time-stamped photos and location coordinates for every inspection.

Look for signs of cosmetic shingle impact and small dents to metal surfaces. If visual inspection is inconclusive, a close-up roof check or minor ladder inspection is warranted. Record any granule loss, bruising at shingle edges, and small punctures to soft-surfaced materials. Do not assume widespread roof failure in the absence of corroborating reports.