How do you protect a car from hail?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
Park under cover first — a garage, a carport, or a fuel-station canopy. If no shelter is near, a padded car cover or thick blankets laid over the glass soften the blows. Caught driving in hail, pull over safely away from trees and power lines, and angle the laminated windshield toward the hail rather than the tempered side glass.
How to protect a parked car from hail
Cover is always the best option. Work down the list by what is available.
- 1
Get under cover
Move the car into a garage, a carport, or under any solid roof. A structure that stops the hailstones before they reach the glass is the only sure protection.
- 2
Lay a padded cover
If no roof is near, a padded hail cover or thick blankets spread over the windshield, back glass, and sunroof absorb some of the impact. Cardboard is a weak fallback but better than nothing.
- 3
Check all the glass after
Once the storm passes, inspect the windshield, side glass, and sunroof for chips or cracks, and photograph any damage for your insurer.
Angle the windshield toward the hail
The windshield is laminated and takes an impact better than the side and back glass, which are tempered and shatter. If you are caught driving, angle the front of the car toward the hail so the laminated glass faces the storm, not the tempered side windows.
What to check after a hailstorm
- Small white marks or pits across the windshield
- Hailstones have struck the glass and left impact pits. Pitting cannot be polished out; replace the glass when glare affects your view.
- A crack radiating from a point of impact
- A hailstone chipped the glass and the chip spread. Chips to about quarter size are usually repairable; longer cracks mean replacement.
- Shattered side or back glass
- Tempered glass broke under the impacts. A shattered tempered window is replaced, not repaired.
More questions about hail and your car
Is there a car cover that protects from hail?
A padded hail cover absorbs some of the impact and can reduce damage, but no cover fully stops large hailstones. Solid cover overhead is the only sure protection.
What do I do if caught driving in hail?
Pull over safely away from trees and power lines, and angle the laminated windshield toward the hail rather than the tempered side glass. Stay inside the car until the storm passes.
Does insurance cover hail damage to a windshield?
Hail damage to glass is covered under comprehensive coverage, subject to your deductible. See our guide on insurance and hail damage.
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