No. The automated hail reports near the metro record that hail was reported somewhere in an area. They do not confirm damage to any particular roof. A roof is checked on the roof, and the inspection, not the report, decides what happened.
Key takeaways
- The hail reports in this site's fact sheet come from an automated storm-report aggregator, not the National Weather Service.
- A report places hail within a few miles of a point. It does not say which roof was hit or how hard.
- Hail damage shows on the storm-facing slopes and in the soft metal, and an inspection is the only test that counts.
- Age, sun and manufacturing faults can look like hail. A roofer separates them by pattern and by comparing sides of the roof.
- A dated inspection record is the document an insurer will ask for, and it is worth having whatever the report said.
What do the reports near the metro actually say?
The fact sheet lists three: 1-inch hail about 6 miles from the city on 5 November 2016, 1-inch hail about 4 miles on 8 January 2026, and 4.5-inch hail about 26 miles away in Santa Fe County on 16 August 2012.
Each of these comes from an automated aggregator, which collects reports and places them on a map. The reports give a size, a date and a distance from a point. They are useful as a prompt, because they tell you that hail was reported in your area on a day you can check.
None of the three reports is a roof-level finding, and none confirms damage to any house. The 2012 report was about 26 miles from the city, so it is listed for context only. The 2016 and 2026 reports were a few miles from the city, close enough that a roof in the metro is worth checking after either one.
- The date and the size given in the report
- The distance from the point the report names
- Whether the report is an aggregator or an official finding
Why isn't a report the same as an inspection?
Because the report describes the storm and the inspection describes the roof. Hail can fall on one street and miss the next, and two roofs a block apart can have very different damage.
Hail is local. A storm can drop stones on one side of a neighbourhood and leave the other side untouched, and a report with a distance attached cannot tell you which side you are on. The inspection is done on the roof, and it records what that roof took.
A report also cannot tell you the age of the damage. Hail marks weather over time, and a roofer can often tell a recent bruise from an old one. A report on its own cannot.
- Hail is local and patchy
- A report cannot separate old marks from new
- Only the roof itself can answer the question
What does hail damage look like?
Round, bruised spots on shingles, dents on soft metal, and cracked or split covering in the worst cases. The pattern across the roof is what matters.
On an asphalt shingle, hail shows as a soft, dark bruise where the surface has been crushed and the granules knocked loose. A bruise can feel different under the thumb from the shingles around it. On soft metal such as vent caps, flashing and gutters, hail shows as dents with a clear round outline.
A roofer looks for the pattern across the roof. Hail that has hit a roof leaves more marks on the slopes facing the storm, and the marks are similar in size and shape. Sun wear is more even and follows the orientation of the roof, and age leaves a general wear rather than a set of round bruises.
- Round bruises on shingles, with a clear edge
- Dents on vents, flashing and gutters
- A pattern that is heavier on the storm-facing slopes
What should you do after a large report?
Look from the ground, photograph what you can, note the date and book an inspection. Do not climb the roof in the wet or on a steep pitch.
A sensible first step is a look from the ground with the storm date in mind. Note any dents on the vents, the gutters and the downspouts, and take photographs with the date visible. Then book a roof inspection, and ask the roofer to write up the storm side and the sheltered side separately.
If you decide to make a claim, send the insurer the dated record and the photographs. Keep a copy of everything. The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance takes complaints about how a claim is processed, but the claim itself is decided under the policy.
- Look from the ground and photograph with the date
- Book a roof inspection that records both sides of the roof
- Keep copies of everything sent to an insurer
Where can you check the reports yourself?
Use the National Weather Service Albuquerque office for official observations and storm summaries, and treat aggregator reports as a prompt to check.
The National Weather Service office for the Albuquerque area publishes storm summaries and official observations. Those are the more authoritative record for a date and a place, and they are useful when you want to confirm what an aggregator said.
Even an official observation is not a roof finding. It describes the weather at a place, and the roof still has to be inspected to say what it did.
- Check the official NWS summary for the date
- Compare it with the aggregator report
- Still inspect the roof itself
How can you tell a bruise from a crack on a shingle?
A bruise is a soft, dark spot where the granules have been crushed, while a crack runs through the mat and can be felt as a line. A roofer checks both by hand and by eye.
A hail bruise on an asphalt shingle is a soft spot. It may feel different under a light press of the thumb, and the granules around it may be pressed into the surface rather than lying loose. A crack is a split through the mat of the shingle, and it can be felt as a line or seen as a dark gap. A roofer will mark each one and note whether it is a bruise, a crack or a combination.
Age and sun can produce granule loss that looks like a bruise from a distance. A roofer looks for the round outline and the soft feel of a true bruise, and notes the difference when the roof is written up. A bruise that has not cracked may still fail later, and that is worth recording as an open item.
- Check each mark by hand as well as by eye
- Note cracks separately from bruises
- Record bruises that have not yet cracked as open items
What should an insurer be given?
A dated inspection record, the storm date, photographs with a scale and a label for each slope, and a list of any areas that could not be reached.
An insurer will want a record it can read. A dated summary that names the storm, the slopes checked, the count of impacts in marked areas and the photographs is the core of it. The record should also list any area that could not be reached, because that is part of an honest account.
The insurer may send its own adjuster. The roofer's record gives the adjuster a starting point. It does not replace the adjuster's inspection, and the adjuster's findings decide what the insurer says about the claim. The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance takes complaints about how claims are processed.
- The storm date and the slopes checked
- Photographs with a scale and a label
- A list of areas that could not be reached
What about hail that is too small to see?
Small hail can still bruise a shingle or dent a vent, and the roofer checks for it when the roof is inspected. A report of small hail is a reason to look, not a reason to assume damage.
Small hail is easy to miss and easy to dismiss. Hail the size of a pea or a marble can still bruise a shingle, especially an older one whose granules are already thin, and it can dent a soft vent cap. A report of small hail is a reason to look at the soft metal first, because a dent there is quicker to see than a bruise on a shingle.
The inspection is the test in every case. A roofer who sees no marks on the roof has recorded that fact, and that is as useful to the homeowner as a finding of damage would be.
- Check the soft metal first for small hail
- Check older shingles, where bruises show more easily
- Record a finding of no marks as clearly as a finding of damage
Frequently asked questions
Is a hail report enough to file an insurance claim?
The report alone is not a damage finding. A claim should rest on an inspection record, and the policy and the insurer decide what is paid.
How do I tell old hail marks from new ones?
A roofer compares the freshness of the marks, the pattern across the roof and the condition of the granules. Ask for that comparison in the written record.
Can a roof be damaged without any sign on the surface?
Yes. A bruise can crack later, and the attic can show wet decking before the covering shows anything. The attic check is part of the inspection.
Should I inspect after every report?
A report is a reason to look, and a large report near your address is a reason to book an inspection. A small or distant one may not be.
Sources
This guide is general information for Bernalillo County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.