Hail history for Otero County, Colorado
Every NOAA hail report filed in Otero County since 1957, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Otero County
- Last hail
- Jul 3, 2024
- 1.00 in, quarter size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 11
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 16 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.50 in
- softball · Jun 23, 1987
219 reports on 130 days since 1957 · #24 of 54 Colorado counties
Hail map · Otero County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Roof damage after hail? Get a free inspection
Hail bruises shingles and cracks seals in ways you can't see from the ground, and most insurers set a claim deadline after the storm. The latest hail report in Otero County is from July 3, 2024. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Otero County
The latest hail report in Otero County is from July 3, 2024, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 11 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 3.00 in on July 5, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Otero County logged 107 reports on 54 hail days, about 5.3 reports a year. That is 71% more than the median Colorado county (3.1 a year) and ranks #24 of 54 Colorado counties for all-time reports. Otero County holds 1% of all 15,580 hail reports in Colorado.
11% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 6% for the median Colorado county. The largest hail on record here is 4.50 in (softball) on June 23, 1987.
Reports were down 22% in 2016–2025 (47) compared with 2006–2015 (60). The busiest year was 2010, with 24 reports on 5 days. Hail here peaks in June (38% of reports); 65% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Otero County 5.3
- Median Colorado county 3.1
Hail days 2006–2025
- Otero County 54
- Median Colorado county 41
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Otero County 11%
- Median Colorado county 6%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 30, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 5, 2023 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jul 20, 2023 | 2 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jul 8, 2023 | 3 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jul 5, 2023 | 3 | 3.00 in | — |
| Jul 4, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 26, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 7, 2022 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
| Jul 6, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 7, 2022 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 1987 | 4.50 insoftball | — | 21:15 local · NCEI |
| Jul 5, 2023 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.69 N La Junta | 20:54 local · NCEI |
| Jul 5, 2023 | 3.00 inteacup | 4.46 SSE Manzanola | 20:30 local · NCEI |
| Jun 1, 1961 | 3.00 inteacup | — | 21:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 23, 2013 | 2.75 inbaseball | Rocky Ford | 18:40 local · NCEI |
Sizes filed before 1996 are often rough estimates (round numbers like 7.00 or 8.00 in) without an exact spot; they are shown as NOAA filed them.
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 73 33%
- 1–2 in 122 56%
- 2 in + 24 11%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | Cheraw | 04:04 local · NCEI |
| May 30, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | La Junta | 18:30 local · NCEI |
| Aug 5, 2023 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Fowler | 15:59 local · NCEI |
| Jul 20, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.82 SSE Manzanola | 15:45 local · NCEI |
| Jul 20, 2023 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.63 E Fowler | 15:42 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2023 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 0.69 S Swink | 18:21 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2023 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 4.18 N Swink | 18:15 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.88 NW Rocky Ford | 18:08 local · NCEI |
| Jul 5, 2023 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.69 N La Junta | 20:54 local · NCEI |
| Jul 5, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.77 WNW Rocky Ford | 20:37 local · NCEI |
| Jul 5, 2023 | 3.00 inteacup | 4.46 SSE Manzanola | 20:30 local · NCEI |
| Jul 4, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.29 ESE Higbee | 16:14 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Otero County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| La Junta | 38 | 4.50 in |
| Rocky Ford | 35 | 2.75 in |
| Fowler | 23 | 2.00 in |
| Cheraw | 17 | 2.50 in |
| Manzanola | 14 | 2.00 in |
| North La Junta | 13 | 2.00 in |
| Swink | 10 | 3.00 in |
Smaller places with fewer than 10 reports
These places have too few reports for a page of their own, so their record lives here.
| Place | Reports | Hail days | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Junta Gardens | 3 | 3 | May 26, 2023 |
Questions about hail in Otero County
How often does it hail in Otero County, Colorado?
219 hail reports have been logged in Otero County since 1957. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 5.3 reports a year. That ranks #24 of 54 Colorado counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Otero County?
Most reports come in June, May, July. June alone accounts for 38% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Otero County?
4.50 in (softball size) on June 23, 1987. 11% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Otero County?
The most recent report in this data is from July 3, 2024 (1.00 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Otero County had in the last five years?
11 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 16 reports. The most recent was July 3, 2024.
Where does this hail data come from?
Hail reports come from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, which the National Weather Service compiles from spotter, public, law enforcement and media reports. Recent days use preliminary NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet until NOAA publishes final data. Only reported hail is counted, so areas with fewer people tend to have fewer reports.