Colorado Springs sits in the heart of Hail Alley, the corridor where Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska meet, and I’ve done enough storm-damage estimates to know exactly why it earns that name. It sees the highest frequency of large hail anywhere in North America. Three things combine to make afternoon hailstorms a regular part of Colorado Springs summers from May through August: the Front Range location, the 6,035-foot elevation, and warm air near the ground colliding with cold air high in the atmosphere.
Most homeowners think about hail after it happens. I’d rather get you ready before the storm does. That means knowing what shape your home is in going into storm season, where hail will find weak spots, and what to do in the first 24 hours after a storm to protect your property and your insurance claim.
Why Is Colorado Springs Hail Particularly Damaging?
The high altitude works against Front Range homes in two ways. First, the air up here is thinner. Thinner air pushes back against a falling hailstone less than dense sea-level air does, so the stone falls faster and hits with more force. Second, the shorter fall from cloud to ground gives the hail less time to melt on the way down, so the stones arrive bigger. On top of that, UV radiation at this elevation is about 25% stronger than at sea level. It breaks down shingles and paint faster than the manufacturer’s expected lifespan assumes. So homes here are already worn when hail season arrives.
The Waldo Canyon area, Black Forest, and homes on ridgelines and west-facing slopes take hail from a more direct angle when afternoon storms roll in from the west. If your home is in an exposed position, the prep checklist below matters more.
The Pre-Season Checklist
1. Roof Assessment from the Ground
You don’t need to get on the roof to do a useful initial assessment. From the ground with binoculars, look for:
- Dark circular spots on asphalt shingles. These are spots where hailstones knocked the granules (the gritty top coating) off the surface. That granule layer shields the asphalt underneath from the sun. Once it is gone, the bare asphalt breaks down fast in Colorado’s sun.
- Missing or lifted shingles from past storms or wind
- Damaged ridge cap shingles (the shingles that cap the peak of the roof). The ridge takes the most direct exposure and fails first.
- Lifted or separated flashing at the chimney, skylights, and roof-to-wall joints. Flashing is the thin metal that seals those seams and channels water away from them.
Any visible damage before hail season is a weak spot hail will find (I’ve been up on enough roofs after a storm to tell you the damage almost always starts where something was already weak). A damaged shingle doesn’t need a direct hit to leak. Wind-driven rain during a storm will find any gap.
2. Gutter Inspection and Cleaning
Gutters serve two purposes in a hail event: they channel roof runoff away from the foundation, and they act as a collection point that tells you what happened to your roof.
Significant granule buildup in gutters after a storm is one of the most reliable signs of shingle damage. The impact loosens granules that then wash into the gutters. If you don’t know the condition of your gutters going in, you can’t interpret what you find after a storm.
Clean gutters now. Confirm downspouts are clear and reach at least 4–6 feet from the foundation. Check that the gutter hangers (the brackets holding the gutter to the house) are tight. A heavy hail hit on a full gutter can rip loose hangers and pull sections of gutter off the fascia, the board they mount to along the roof edge.
3. Window and Door Caulk
Hail-driven rain is different from regular rain. Strong winds during a Front Range storm can push water sideways. Rain moving at 60 mph finds gaps that normal rain runs right past.
Failed caulk at window frames, door frames, and any other opening in the exterior is a main way water gets in during a hail storm. Colorado’s big daily temperature swings and strong UV mean caulk breaks down here faster than the product rating assumes. Caulk that looked fine last fall may have cracked over the winter and is now open.
Inspect every window and door frame. Any cracked, shrinking, or separating caulk should be replaced with a quality siliconized hybrid exterior caulk before storm season. This is a $20 material fix. The water infiltration damage it prevents is not.
4. Siding Condition
Hail hits on LP SmartSide (the engineered wood siding on most Briargate, Northgate, Flying Horse, and Wolf Ranch homes built in the last 15 years) leave circular dents and can break through the protective coating. Once that coating is broken, moisture soaks into the wood core. Then Colorado’s freeze-thaw cycles finish the job (I see this exact sequence, dent, then moisture, then a freeze-thaw split, on siding all over those neighborhoods). Trapped water freezes, expands, and thaws over and over until it splits the material apart.
Fiber cement siding handles small hail better but can crack on large impacts. Vinyl siding dents and cracks under significant hail.
Walk the siding perimeter before storm season. Note any sections with existing impact damage, bubbling paint, or soft spots. These are the sections that will sustain the worst damage in a new storm and the sections where moisture is already working in.
5. AC Condenser Fins
The outdoor condenser unit for your central AC system has aluminum fins that are vulnerable to hail impact. The fins are thin and closely spaced, so even small hail can bend and flatten them. That reduces airflow and cooling efficiency.
Before storm season: confirm the condenser is clear of debris from winter and operating correctly. After a significant hail event, check the fins for damage. Moderately bent fins can be straightened with a fin comb ($10 at HVAC supply stores). Severely damaged fins affect performance enough to warrant a service call.
Consider whether your condenser is in a protected location. Units on the south or west side of the house take direct storm exposure. There’s no practical way to relocate an existing unit, but knowing its exposure helps you assess it quickly post-storm.
6. Window Screens
Window screens are among the easiest post-storm damage indicators. Hail that is large enough to damage roofing will tear, puncture, or push in window screens. The screen damage pattern tells you the hail size and direction, which helps you judge damage that is harder to see elsewhere.
Repair or replace any screens that are already torn or loose before storm season. You want a clean starting point to compare against after a storm.
7. Skylights
Skylights take direct perpendicular hail impact and are a documented leak source after hail events. Check the existing skylight frame and flashing for any cracking, separation, or signs of past water infiltration (staining on the surrounding ceiling). Also check the skylight glazing (the clear panel itself, glass or plastic). Acrylic and polycarbonate plastic panels can develop micro-crazing after years of UV exposure. Micro-crazing is a web of tiny surface cracks, and it makes the panel more likely to shatter when hail hits.
Skylights with compromised flashing or aged glazing should be addressed before storm season. The repair cost is a fraction of the interior damage a leaking skylight causes.
8. Exterior Lighting and Fixtures
Exterior light fixtures, outlet covers, and similar penetrations are sealed against the structure with caulk or gaskets. These seals degrade over time and hail-driven rain exploits them. Before storm season, check that every exterior fixture is snug against the wall and that the perimeter seal is intact.
Fixtures that flex slightly in the wind are especially vulnerable, because the movement breaks the seals over time. Confirm every fixture is firmly fastened and sealed.
9. Fence and Gate Hardware
Post caps, gate hinges, and decorative hardware on fencing are exposed to hail from above. Plastic post caps crack under hail impact and then allow water into the hollow post, which freezes and accelerates post deterioration. Metal hardware rusts where hail impacts breach any protective coating.
Walk the fence line before storm season. Replace cracked or missing post caps. They are cheap, and a missing cap leads to a much more expensive problem.
10. Photograph Everything Now
This is the step I push hardest on every spring, and it’s the one most homeowners skip.
Before storm season begins, photograph every exterior surface of your home: roof (from the ground), all four siding elevations, AC condenser, gutters, windows, skylights, deck surface, and any other exterior components. Time-stamp the photos in your phone’s photo library.
When a hail storm hits and you’re assessing damage, you need to distinguish pre-existing conditions from new storm damage. Your insurer will make the same distinction. Photos dated before the storm are the only reliable baseline. Without them, it turns into an argument about what was there before, and that argument rarely goes the homeowner’s way.
What Should You Do in the First 24 Hours After a Hail Storm?
Assess immediately. Check the ground around the house for hailstone size, and photograph any stones that are still intact. Quarter-size hail (1 inch across) or larger is big enough to damage roofing and siding. Baseball-size hail (about 2.75 inches) will almost certainly damage your roof, so treat it as an emergency.
Check the gutters. Significant granule accumulation means shingle damage. Document with photos.
Look for obvious damage. Broken skylights, displaced shingles visible from the ground, torn screens, dented AC fins, cracked siding.
Do not go on the roof. Wet shingles and a post-storm environment are not the conditions for a DIY roof inspection. Have a licensed roofing contractor do the surface assessment.
Contact your insurer. Most policies have a filing window for storm damage claims, typically one year, but confirm your policy terms. File within the window even if you’re not sure whether the damage exceeds your deductible. You can withdraw a claim; you can’t file one after the window closes.
Get a contractor estimate before the adjuster visit. An independent estimate from a licensed contractor gives you a basis for comparison when the insurer’s adjuster assesses damage. Adjusters work for the insurer. A contractor who works for you gives you a different data point.
What’s the Deductible Reality for Hail Damage in Colorado Springs?
Colorado homeowner policies frequently have a separate wind and hail deductible, often 1–2% of the home’s insured value rather than the flat dollar deductible that applies to other claims. On a home insured at $400,000, that’s a $4,000–$8,000 deductible before insurance pays anything.
Know your deductible before storm season (I tell every client to call their agent and actually read the wind/hail line, not guess at it after a storm). If a hail event causes $5,000 in damage and your deductible is $4,500, filing a claim that raises your premium for three years over a $500 net benefit is a financial decision worth making carefully.
For a free estimate on hail damage assessment or pre-season repairs in Colorado Springs, call (719) 243-9718.
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