During the spring, from April through June, storms are at a peak mainly in the eastern areas of the state. Storms become more statewide July through August. Tornadoes have also been verified in most New Mexico counties. The highest risk of tornadoes is in the east during April through July, but tornadoes are possible with any thunderstorm. New Mexico averages 10 tornadoes in a year.
Tornadoes can severely damage large and small buildings.
Hail with flash flooding becomes a threat for central and western New Mexico from June through September. Albuquerque just missed being hit be softball size hail and damaging winds as storms ripped through Los Chaves and Los Lunas last September. Hail can also be a killer. However, the latest tornado fatality in New Mexico occurred west of Albuquerque in October 1974 and a rare winter tornado was reported southwest of Roswell in December 1997, proving that tornadoes can be deadly at anytime and nearly anywhere within the state, even at both low and high elevations. Most counties across the eastern half of the state will see large hail ranging from golfball to softball at least 4 to 6 times during the spring and also during the summer thunderstorm season.