FAQs about Hail Damage, Windshields, and Sunroofs

Did a recent hailstorm damage your car's windshield or sunroof? Even though auto glass is far from fragile, the gumball or baseball-sized hail that comes with a major storm can chip, crack, or shatter windshields and sunroofs. Before you drive your car or try a DIY fix, take a look at what you need to know about hail, auto glass damage, and your repair or replacement options. 

What Is Hail?

The more you know about hail, the easier it is to understand why and how it could damage auto glass. Unlike rain, hail is solid ice. When updrafts in the atmosphere carry rainwater upwards and into much colder areas, it freezes into hailstones. When the stones grow too heavy for the atmospheric updraft to support, the frozen balls of ice begin to fall down to the ground. 

Are Hail and Freezing Rain the Same — And Will They Both Cause Damage?

Even though hail is ice, it differs from freezing rain. Freezing rain is ice that forms as it nears or reaches the ground. This means, unlike hail, it isn't likely to damage your car. Instead of falling from the sky as heavy, completely solid pellets or balls, freezing rain is smaller, softer, and all or mostly liquid. 

Will Hail Always Cause Damage to A Car's Windshield or Sunroof?

No, every hailstorm won't result in auto glass damage. Hail pellets or balls aren't always the same size and they fall at different rates or forces. Smaller-sized hail or a lighter storm (with less forceful winds) may not crack or chip your car's auto glass. But larger pieces or a serious storm may cause serious auto glass damage.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), smaller-sized pieces of hail fall at an average speed of between nine and 25 miles per hour. Hail in severe thunderstorms may fall at a faster speed of 25 to 40 miles per hour. The larger-sized hail that you might find in a supercell storm can fall at a rate of 44 to 72 miles per hour. 

The NSSL notes that it's possible for large hail to fall to the ground at a rate of more than 100 miles per hour. Even though this isn't a normal or typical speed for an average hailstorm, you can imagine the damage a ball of ice falling at or near 100 miles per hour could do to a windshield or sunroof. 

What Can You Do To Protect Your Car From Hail?

The answer to this question is simple — move your car into a garage. This is the only real preventative measure you can take to protect auto glass from hail damage. While a tarp, awning, or similar cover may protect your car from the rain or snow, it won't do much to stop the force of a hailstorm. 

What Happens If You Can't Protect Your Car From Hail?

Again, hail won't always damage auto glass. While protection is the best option to stop damage before it starts, it's not always possible to move or park your car inside. Whether you don't have a garage, don't have access to indoor parking, or are simply caught off guard by a hailstorm, it is possible that larger-sized stones or faster moving hail could damage the windshield or your sunroof.

If a hailstone does chip or crack your car's glass, wait for the storm to end before you attempt to assess the damage or drive your vehicle. You may need to document the damage for an insurance claim. Contact your insurer before you move, cover, or clean your car. You may accidentally remove evidence (such as shards of glass) that the insurance company needs to see proof of. Your insurance provider should explain whether you can document the damage yourself or if they'll send someone to take the photos.

After you've started the claims process and know you're clear to clean your car, remove any excess glass from the interior. This process isn't always easy. Carefully pick up larger shards or sweep them into a dustpan with a small broom while wearing thick work gloves. You may also need to vacuum smaller pieces away. 

If your windshield or sunroof cracked, but didn't shatter, you will not need to clean your car. But you will need to call an auto glass repair professional. The auto glass contractor can help you through the next steps—whether the glass shattered completely or cracked. They may advise you not to drive your car without fully functional auto glass. Cracked or chipped glass could shatter as you drive. Along with this possibility, damage to a windshield could obscure your view. 

Never attempt to tape the windshield or sunroof or try another DIY fix. Only a qualified auto glass repair contractor should complete the repairs or replacements. Auto glass professionals have the experience, knowledge, and equipment to safely and effectively correct cracks and chips or replace your windshield or sunroof.

Do you need help with auto glass repair? Contact MS Glass Outlet for more information.