San Antonio, NM Hail Storm – October 2026

A hail-producing thunderstorm moved through San Antonio, New Mexico on October 25, 2026, producing 1.39-inch stones in the early evening. Dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection issued two radar hail alerts during the event and a spotter provided a ground observation shortly after the second alert.

What Happened

The storm first flagged on radar with a hail-detection alert at 5:11 PM MDT on October 25. The reflectivity and dual-polarization signatures persisted as the cell moved northeast through the San Antonio metro. A second radar hail alert occurred at 7:14 PM MDT as the cell reintensified over the same corridor.

At 7:20 PM MDT a trained spotter in central San Antonio reported "Quarter to half dollar size hail." That observation corresponds to a half-dollar object on the NWS size scale and provided a ground-truth anchor to the radar activity. The radar-derived hail detections and the spotter observation align in time and location along a narrow corridor through the metro.

Damage Assessment

Observations and reports indicate impacts were localized to the central San Antonio neighborhood near the spotter location around 7:20 PM MDT. NWS Local Storm Reports show a single spotter-verified hail observation; no additional public LSRs documented widespread structural or vehicle damage connected to this event in the immediate hours after the storm.

Where hail accumulation occurred, reports and community photos submitted to local channels showed mostly surface scouring and isolated pitting on exposed metal trim. Claims-related photos received by local contractors noted cosmetic dents to aluminum trim and hail marks on older asphalt shingles in several yards along the radar track. There were no verified reports of roof failures or garage-scale structural collapse tied to this event in the NWS records.

Response in the hours after the storm concentrated on localized vehicle inspections and targeted roof assessments within the metro corridor that matched the radar-and-spotter footprint. Municipal crews reported limited street cleanup for scattered hail and debris in the immediate aftermath.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect the corridor that aligns with the radar hail detections and the spotter location near central San Antonio. Start with photographic documentation at time-stamped intervals and include a physical scale in every image. Prioritize vehicle panels, aluminum soffits, and exposed HVAC units for dents and punctures. These were the most commonly reported surfaces in photos submitted after the storm.

On roofs, focus initial checks on shingle granule loss and soft-metal flashings. Look for concentrated pitting on the weathering surface rather than broad shingle failure. For older asphalt roofs, document any bare spots where granules have been removed. For metal roofs, check for small dents at fastener lines and panel edges.