Rio Rancho

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Sandoval County, the county that contains Rio Rancho.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Sandoval County, the county that contains Rio Rancho.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Sandoval County, the county that contains Rio Rancho.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Volcanoes within 100 miles

1. U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.

USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Sandoval County.

Mapped by USGS Conterminous (122), NASA (3).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 1, 2011Wildfire, Jemez Mountains$17.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Las Conchas wildfire damaged 80 homes, of which, 15 were primary residences. The other 65 homes were seasonal. Numerous outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed and 10 vehicles were completely destroyed. The fire prompted evacuations of Los Alamos National Labs, Bandelier National Monument, the city of Los Alamos, as well as numerous other campgrounds and homes within the burn area itself. The fire burned portions of the Santa Clara, Cochiti, San Ildefonso and Santa Domingo Indian Reservations as well as portions of Bandelier National Monument and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. This fire burned on both sides of Highway 4, and up to Highway 501, causing both highways…

2. Apr 22, 2022Wildfire, Jemez Mountains$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Cerro Pelado Fire began during the afternoon hours of April 22nd approximately seven miles east of Jemez Springs. With very high winds in the area, this fire rapidly spread, and by the morning of April 23rd, it had grown to 4,688 acres. Evacuation orders were quickly given for Sierra de Los Pinos and other communities near the Cerro Pelado Fire. This fire even prompted the closure of New Mexico State Road 4 that leads to Los Alamos. Within a matter of days, this wildfire began to move into the burn scar of the 2011 Las Conchas Fire, the 2013 Thompson Ridge Fire, and the 2017 Cajete Fire. As a persistent windy pattern continued through the remainder of the month of April, this…

3. Jun 21, 2025Wildfire, Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Cotton fire was discovered in the afternoon of 6/21 while the Cotton II was discovered on the morning of 6/22 and determined to be human caused. Both quickly became combined into the Desert Willow Complex Fire on 6/22 burning in the bosque area on both sides of the Rio Grande north and south of Main Street Bridge in Los Lunas. Unfortunately, 11 structures were destroyed with 9 of them homes, and 4 other structures were damaged. Media reported 12 firefighters were treated for smoke and heat injuries while two firefighters were hospitalized. Evacuations were ordered for residences in the area, ending by the 23rd. The Cotton fire burned 95 acres while the Cotton II fire burned…

4. Aug 21, 2011Flash Flood$3.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flash flooding ensued after an estimated 3 to 4 inches of rain fell across the southern portion of the Las Conchas burn scar. Flooding in Frijoles Creek caused damage in and around Bandelier National Monument. Two barrier walls around the Visitors Center were overtopped and the septic system lift station was inundated with water. Major flooding was also reported in Peralta Canyon around Kasha Katuwe (Tent Rocks) National Monument. Damage was reported to the access road as well as other local roads. ||Along and downstream of Cochiti Canyon sustained the most damage from flood waters. Flows were reported to be 8 to 10 feet high when they reached Dixon's Apple Orchard. The…

5. Aug 22, 2011Flash Flood$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   During the damage survey of the previous days flooding, abundant rain above Cochiti Canyon resulted in another, more devastating flood, to Dixon's Apple Orchard which was witness first hand by the NWS Albuquerque Warning Coordination Meteorologist. The force of the flow was estimated to be 3 times as that of the previous days flood. At least 10 feet high, the width of the flood waters was approximately 100 yards wide. 20 to 40 percent more of the apple orchard was destroyed. Also, the main storage building that sustained damage in the previous days flood was wiped completely off its foundation. The semi truck that moved 200 yards before, was washed downstream and ended up in the…

6. Apr 11, 2022Wildfire, Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   With a dangerous fire weather pattern in place across all of northern and central New Mexico due to exceptionally dry conditions and very strong winds, the stage was set for fires to spread quickly. On April 11, 2022, a human-caused wildfire was started northeast of Belen. The Big Hole Fire spread quickly to 890 acres by April 15th with 60 percent containment, and the wildfire was finally 100 percent contained on April 25th. One home was destroyed while eighteen outbuildings were also destroyed, but over one hundred other residences were threatened due to its close proximity to Belen. One firefighter was injured while responding. Damages are estimated.

7. Oct 2, 2010Hail$1.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Kewa Pueblo, formerly known as Santa Domingo Pueblo, received golf ball sized hail which accumulated six to eight inches deep. This caused several roofs on the Pueblo to cave in and weaken some walls. The combination of heavy rain and accumulated hail resulted in some roads being washed out.

8. Jul 29, 1999Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain of 2 inches in about 2 hours caused road and soil erosion in northern Rio Rancho. No injuries were reported, but residents in some of the newer or remote subdivisions on the far north edge of the city were stranded after numerous dirt roads and low water arroyo crossings were washed out. Some roads became gullies 4 feet deep and 14 feet wide. The area around the city land fill suffered heavily with two miles of road isolated by at least 5 deep cuts. Damage costs were restricted to time and labor associated with road clearing and grading, small culvert replacement and to the lose of several heavy tractors near the land fill which were buried in 4 to 5 feet of mud and sand.

9. Feb 22, 2023High Wind, Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An amateur radio spotter reported down transmission and communication towers at the Sandia Crest.

10. Apr 17, 2025Wildfire, Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area$1.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Valencia County emergency management confirmed a wildfire burning within the bosque along the west side of the Rio Grande on Bureau of Indian Affairs land during the afternoon of April 17th. Strong and very dry southwesterly winds creating critical fire weather conditions allowed the fire to jump the Rio Grande River and into Bosque Farms just south of the Valencia and Bernalillo County line. Evacuations were ordered in Bosque Farms between Truchas Trail and Cottonwood Drive west of West Bosque Loop. The fire caused major damage to three homes with two of those being destroyed. There are no reports of injuries or fatalities. Damage is an estimate based on number of homes destroyed.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

107°FJun 26, 1994

All-time low

−17°FJan 7, 1971

Warmest night

79°FJul 20, 2023

Coldest day

6°FJan 6, 1971

Wettest day

1.92 in2 times, most recently Apr 3, 2004

Snowiest day

11.3 inDec 29, 2006

Hottest year

2025mean 60.8°F

Coldest year

1975mean 54.4°F

Wettest year

194115.88 in

Driest year

19564.06 in

Snowiest season

37.4 in1972-73

Station Albuquerque International Airport (USW00023050), 5,310 ft elevation, 17.4 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1931 to October 27, 2026; 100.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Sandoval County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00023050.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.