Santa Fe County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Santa Fe County: 0.
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.

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

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.

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 county boundary (or inside the county).
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

Mapped by USGS Conterminous (61), NASA (1).

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. Dec 15, 2021Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Snow squall. A snow squall with associated lightning resulted in a peak wind gust of 70 mph at the Santa Fe airport. These high winds caused significant damage to parked aircraft with one lightweight aircraft flipped over and five others damaged. One hangar door was ripped off which collided it with another hangar door. Four other hangar doors were damaged. Two hangars suffered roof damage, and many bushes were ripped from the ground and strewn across the runway. These winds were responsible for downed trees at the Santa Fe State Capitol building as well as a 56-foot tree outside of St. Francis Cathedral. Damages are a rough estimate.

2. Apr 19, 2025Heavy Snow, Central Highlands$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A trained spotter at the Bowlins Flying C Ranch Gas Station observed between 8.5 to 9 inches of snowfall. According to the Torrance County Sheriff's Office, I-40 was closed from Clines Corners to Moriarty from 4/19/2025 15:00 to 22:00 local standard time. This was due to slick road conditions and low visibility from snow resulting in 5 separate crashes involving around 15 vehicles. The crashes involved mostly semitrucks and a few RVs and passenger vehicles. Thankfully, drivers and passengers only suffered minor injuries.

3. Jun 26, 2017Hail$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tennis ball size produced major damage between Glorieta and Pecos. House windows and skylights were blown out. Vehicle windshields smashed and significant damage to vehicles.

4. Jul 23, 2018Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Torrential rainfall resulted in significant flash flooding around Santa Fe. A total of 10 roadways were closed due to flood debris and high water. Local emergency services responded to five swift water rescues. A total of 100 homes experienced damage from flood waters, of which 33 saw major damage and 6 were completely destroyed. Flood waters inundated the basement of the county courthouse. Over 2,000 books were destroyed by water at the La Farge library in Santa Fe. Flash flooding also occurred along Cienega Creek resulting in damage to several homes in La Cienega. A shelter was set up at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center. Damage amounts are a rough estimate.

5. 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.

6. Mar 23, 2021Winter Storm, Estancia Valley$700,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The combination of heavy snow and strong winds resulted in severe driving conditions along Interstate 40 east of Moriarty for several hours on March 24. The poor conditions led to a major accident involving multiple vehicles 10 miles east of Moriarty along Interstate 40. Thirty-nine vehicles were involved of which thirty-five were tractor trailers. As a result, Interstate 40 was closed into the morning hours of March 25th. Eleven people were injured, but no fatalities occurred. Damages are estimated for the multiple vehicles involved.

7. Jul 15, 2014Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A clogged culvert led to a surge of flood waters through the Pojoaque Terrace Mobile Estates. Several homes were washed off their foundations. A gas line break during the flood prompted the evacuation off all 60 homes. A total of 23 units were damaged.

8. Sep 15, 2013Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   State EOC Situation Report #12 indicated 10 businesses were flooded in Madrid. Most significant damage done to Mine Shaft Tavern and nearby museums. Mud and coal damage to most structures. Gold Mine Road, Rogersville Road, and Puebla Road 76 were cleared of flooding debris.

9. Apr 24, 2026Wildfire, Espanola Valley$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Riverside Fire began near Espanola, NM near the Santa Claran Hotel within the Santa Clara Pueblo. The fire grew to 44 acres destroying 5 structures, including one single-wide trailer, one home, one recreational vehicle, and two sheds. No injuries or fatalities were reported. Damage is an estimate.

10. Dec 1, 2020Winter Weather, Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Very slick travel conditions along Interstate 40 between Tijeras and Sedillo Hill resulted in multiple crashes involving 10 semi-trucks. Remarkably, only two motorists were sent to a local hospital for minor injuries. Damage amounts are a rough estimate for significant damage or total loss to several of the commercial vehicles.

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

102°F3 times, most recently Jun 14, 2021

All-time low

−18°FFeb 3, 2011

Warmest night

73°FAug 18, 1945

Coldest day

8°FFeb 2, 2011

Wettest day

2.14 inJun 10, 1949

Snowiest day

9.0 inNov 16, 1957

Hottest year

2024mean 54.7°F

Coldest year

1942mean 49.5°F

Wettest year

194914.79 in

Driest year

19563.12 in

Station Santa Fe County Municipal Airport (USW00023049), 6,287 ft elevation, 5.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1941 to October 26, 2026; 96.2% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USW00023049.
• 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.