HailEvidence → hail history by county → New Mexico → Lea County
Hail dates in Lea County, New Mexico
The National Weather Service has recorded hail in Lea County on 44 days since 2016 (112 separate reports, 101 of them quarter-size or larger). The largest stone on record was 3.00" (tea cup) on June 5, 2025; the most recent hail was May 25, 2026. Every row below is an official NWS record. Check hail at your exact address, free →
Every hail day in Lea County since 2016
One row per day the NWS logged hail somewhere in the county. The narrative names the town; the free check below narrows it to your address.
| Date | Largest hail | Reports | NWS narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-25 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 1 | Half Dollar Size Hail was reported approximately 3 blocks away from the Fire Department in Lovington. The total time of occurrence is partially estimated fro… |
| 2026-05-21 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | A trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail to the east/northeast of Crossroads. The total time of occurrence is partially estimated from radar. |
| 2025-06-06 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 9 | Approximately hen egg-size hail was reported near the intersection of Dal Paso and St. Anne in Hobbs. The time of occurrence is estimated from radar. |
| 2025-06-05 | 3.00" (tea cup) | 3 | Approximately 3 inch hail was reported by the public via social media (some hailstones may have been up to 3.5 inches in diameter). The time of occurrence is… |
| 2025-05-05 | 1.00" (quarter) | 3 | A storm chaser reported dime to quarter-size hail. |
| 2025-04-30 | 1.00" (quarter) | 3 | A report of quarter-sized hail was received from mPING. Time is estimated from radar. |
| 2025-04-29 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | A report of penny-sized hail was received from mPING. Time is estimated from radar. |
| 2025-04-26 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 7 | A storm chaser reported approximately 2-inch-diameter hail about 2.5 miles east of Tatum. The wind and hail broke one of the vehicle's windows. The time is e… |
| 2025-04-25 | 2.50" (tennis ball) | 4 | Tennis ball size hail was reported by a trained spotter. The time is estimated from radar. |
| 2025-04-23 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 5 | A storm chaser reported golf ball size hail north of Jal. Time is estimated from radar. |
| 2024-11-02 | 3.00" (tea cup) | 5 | Pictures from a storm chaser on social media showed three-inch diameter hail. |
| 2024-05-31 | 2.50" (tennis ball) | 8 | A retired spotter/EM called in hail up to the size of tennis balls for the city of Hobbs near Taos, Copper, and Grimes Streets. |
| 2023-10-24 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2023-09-26 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 1 | Emergency management replayed a report of ping pong ball size hail in Crossroads. Time is estimated from radar. |
| 2023-07-01 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 2 | A member of the public shared a photo on Facebook with ping pong ball size hail shown. |
| 2023-06-02 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Quarter-size hail observed in downtown Hobbs. |
| 2023-05-19 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2023-05-02 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2022-06-03 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 1 | — |
| 2022-06-01 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 3 | — |
| 2022-05-24 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 3 | — |
| 2022-05-01 | 2.75" (baseball) | 7 | — |
| 2021-07-11 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 1 | — |
| 2021-06-02 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 2 | — |
| 2021-05-30 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 2 | — |
| 2019-09-28 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 4 | — |
| 2019-09-12 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 1 | — |
| 2019-06-01 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | A thunderstorm moved across Lea County and produced one inch hail and minor street flooding in Lovington. |
| 2019-05-25 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 3 | — |
| 2019-05-04 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 4 | The hail covered the road seven miles east southeast of McDonald. |
| 2019-05-03 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2019-04-22 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 3 | — |
| 2019-03-12 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2018-06-08 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 2 | — |
| 2018-05-23 | 0.88" (nickel) | 2 | — |
| 2017-06-23 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 1 | — |
| 2017-05-09 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2017-03-11 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 2 | A thunderstorm moved across Lea County and produced hail damage near Monument. A windshield was significantly cracked by the hail. The cost of damage is a ro… |
| 2017-01-15 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | — |
| 2016-09-17 | 2.50" (tennis ball) | 3 | A thunderstorm moved across Lea County and produced tennis ball sized hail in Jal. The hail caused widespread damage to homes and vehicles. The cost of dam… |
| 2016-09-16 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2016-08-25 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2016-06-11 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 2 | — |
| 2016-05-31 | 1.00" (quarter) | 2 | A thunderstorm moved across Lea County and produced one inch hail in Hobbs, NM. Torrential rain and 35 to 40 mph sustained winds also occurred with this storm. |
Hail days by year
| Year | Hail days | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | 1.25" (half dollar) |
| 2025 | 8 | 35 | 3.00" (tea cup) |
| 2024 | 2 | 13 | 3.00" (tea cup) |
| 2023 | 6 | 7 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) |
| 2022 | 4 | 14 | 2.75" (baseball) |
| 2021 | 3 | 5 | 1.75" (golf ball) |
| 2019 | 8 | 18 | 2.00" (hen egg) |
| 2018 | 2 | 4 | 2.00" (hen egg) |
| 2017 | 4 | 5 | 2.00" (hen egg) |
| 2016 | 5 | 9 | 2.50" (tennis ball) |
Damaging wind in Lea County
Thunderstorm wind of 58 mph or more (the NWS severe threshold), 96 reports since 2016, strongest 130 mph. 4 tornadoes recorded in the county in the same period. Wind and tornado records are included in the extended report.
| Date | Peak gust | Reports | NWS narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-31 | 130 mph | 26 | A coolant building at Xcel Energy Cunningham Plant was significantly damaged. The estimated wind speed was 130 mph. Property damage cost … |
| 2024-05-31 | 100 mph | 3 | Media replayed a report of a wind turbine fire north of Tatum. This is likely the result of severe wind gusts. Time is estimated from rad… |
| 2023-10-02 | 100 mph | 2 | Single wide trailer fully collapsed with no injuries reported. Time estimated from radar. Wind speeds are estimated to be 100 mph. Proper… |
| 2023-09-11 | 100 mph | 3 | Numerous power poles were reported snapped and outbuildings were severely damaged. Time is estimated from radar. Wind speeds were estimat… |
| 2021-08-21 | 96 mph | 2 | A thunderstorm produced wind damage near Hobbs. Six power poles were snapped along Highway 18 near University of the Southwest. A few tre… |
| 2024-11-02 | 92 mph | 1 | — |
| 2017-06-23 | 85 mph | 8 | A thunderstorm moved across Lea County and produced wind damage in Hobbs. A horse barn was blown into a solar panel array at the New Mexi… |
| 2021-03-22 | 81 mph | 1 | A thunderstorm moved across Lea County and produced a 81 mph wind gust near Tatum. |
Was hail recorded at your Lea County address? Check free
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Address lookup by the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. Records: NOAA NCEI Storm Events (final) plus SPC preliminary reports for storms newer than the latest compile — see methodology.
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10-year hail history for one address + the disputed-date finding.
15-year window, wind & tornado records, plus a drafted claim-appeal letter.
Questions
What date did hail last hit Lea County?
May 25, 2026, per the NWS Storm Events record. The largest since 2016 was 3.00" (tea cup) on June 5, 2025.
Does a county record prove hail at my house?
No. NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure. The free check above shows what was recorded near your specific address, with distances.
Nearby counties
Gaines County, TX (35 mi) · Andrews County, TX (49 mi) · Terry County, TX (63 mi) · Winkler County, TX (63 mi) · Eddy County, NM (64 mi) · Ector County, TX (77 mi) · Hockley County, TX (82 mi) · Midland County, TX (84 mi)
See also: New Mexico hail history by city · all counties