It’s hail season in Colorado: How to prevent damage to your car
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s hail season is quickly approaching. Now is a good time to make a plan to prevent potentially costly hail damage.
Denver weather typically sees hail start to pick up toward the end of April and the beginning of May, with severe hail days peaking early to mid-June, according to data from Colorado State University’s climate center.
When is hail season in Colorado?
While it’s unlikely that snow will fall again in Denver until summer has passed, it might be a good idea to keep a snow shovel handy because plowable hail is possible in the summer.
Last year, hailstones as large as 4 inches in diameter fell in early May.
AAA spokesperson Skyler McKinley told FOX31 that Colorado is the “No. 2., sometimes No. 1 per capita state when it comes to hail damage on our cars and our homes.”
McKinley said hail can cause thousands of dollar’s worth of property damage, especially for cars. That’s why he recommends having a plan before hail becomes a bigger threat.
Tips for preventing hail damage to cars
Hail can be damaging to cars — ranging from harmless but annoying dents on the body of the vehicle that can decrease its value to shattering windows, which can be dangerous and especially costly for new cars with high tech windshields.
McKinley said hail damage claims average from $1,000 to $3,000.
Parking under some kind of cover is the best way to protect a car from hail damage, but it’s not always a convenient option when hailstorms hit.
It’s something that McKinley said he has dealt with, and as a spokesperson for AAA, he said hail damage is one of the last things he wants for his car, so he offered these tips.
Watch the weather forecast
The first step in preparing for hail is watching the forecast.
McKinley said he did not have a carport available when he lived near Capitol Hill and had to park on the street, so he would watch the Denver weather forecast closely to know where and when hail would hit.
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You can sign up to receive alerts about when hail will hit through the Pinpoint Weather app. The Pinpoint Weather team updates the forecast multiple times each day, so you can always check the Denver weather forecast for updated information.
Here are some other helpful resources for important weather information:
Know where the nearest parking garage or covering is
When hail is in the forecast, McKinley recommends knowing where the nearest coverage is.
“I would see a storm was coming in, I would run to my car, I get my car parked in a covered parking garage somewhere,” McKinley said. “That’s the best thing you can do.”
He recommends knowing where nearby parking garages are so you can get coverage when needed. He said parking garages and self-service car washes were his best friends when he needed coverage, and he would wait out the storm under cover as hail typically doesn’t last all day.
Cover your car before hail hits
Getting coverage might not always be convenient, but luckily there are things you can cover your car with to help prevent hail damage.
McKinley said anyone can find vehicle-specific covers available for purchase online and noted that many car manufacturers offer cover options.
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“I will say it can be an annoyance if you are using your car every day to take on and off a hail cover. But if you are as I was, living in a neighborhood where you don’t use your car that often, it is a great alternative to keep your car safe for as long as your car is parked there,” McKinley said.
In a pinch, McKinley said he knows people often cover their vehicles with other things.
“I’ve seen all sorts of things — towels, cardboard boxes. I’ve seen folks get plywood; I’ve seen them get potting soil. You name it,” he said.
Here are some things McKinley recommends covering your car with:
Hail blankets
Moving blankets
Floor mats and rugs
Towels
Layers of old/unwanted blankets
He also noted that covered car windows can be alarming to law enforcement officers and recommends keeping that in mind and removing any covering when it is not needed.
If you do use blankets to cover your car, McKinley said to avoid using duct tape because it can damage the paint.
However you choose to protect your vehicle when the hail comes, McKinley said not to park anywhere close to a tree.
“Some folks from other states will say, ‘Oh, you should park under a tree, and you’ll be safe from the hail.’ Don’t do that, hail is always accompanied by high winds in Colorado — those branches will fall and that can be much worse than a hailstorm,” he said.
Fold in side mirrors
McKinley said all motorists should get in the habit of folding in their side mirrors, especially when parking in the city for hail and other reasons.
“First off, they’re a lot harder to ding up if they are folded in but also hail can tear side mirrors off your vehicle,” McKinley said. “So, fold those in to avoid having to get that fixed.”
What to do if you are driving when hail hits
Driving during a hailstorm can be dangerous, and McKinley recommends avoiding it altogether.
“If you are driving during a hailstorm, don’t. Pull over,” McKinley said. “Stop driving because your visibility will be limited, and there’s also some danger, of course, of that windshield breaking on people driving.”
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He said to make sure you are pulled over safely and away from traffic.
As for protecting your car from damage, if you are driving when hail hits, one idea he recommends is keeping blankets or some kind of cover handy in your car. That way, you can pull over and throw something on top of your vehicle and wait out the storm.
McKinley added that he wouldn’t obstruct his rear windshield or any vehicle visibility in that situation.
Make sure your insurance coverage is adequate
McKinley advises all motorists in Colorado to carry comprehensive coverage for their vehicles. Not all plans will cover hail damage costs.
“If you don’t, you just don’t have insurance the way that you think you might have insurance. Liability only is not enough, collision is probably not enough,” he said. “If you don’t have comprehensive coverage, you’re left holding the bag to fix that yourself.”
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He also said it is a good idea to double-check your insurance policy coverage, whether it be homeowners insurance, renters insurance or car insurance.
“Double check, read your policy because we get so much hail and sometimes your deductible might be much higher for hail claims, in which case, find a different policy or find a different agent,” McKinley said.
Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels said hail season progresses quickly once May comes around, and Coloradans should be prepared ahead of time.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
