Poll: How many windsheilds replaced due to chasing

[Verne Carlson]

1 - caught at a light in Platteville, CO and cored in the 90's.
1 - core punched the 6/5/2009 LaGrange, WY meso and paid dearly.
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2 total

 

[Chris Heater]

Well so far, i've never lost a windshield to hail, rocks or anything else. And over spring break we'll be building a hail guard system so we WONT loose any windows and still drive full speed down the road. We'll see how that works out over the season though. The netting we're using hasn't been put to the test with hail, so there is only one way to find out

 

[Scott Olson]

Twice! Once here:

 

[Scott Weberpal]

Twice.

May 16, 2002 just west of Guymon, OK near Eva.
July 24, 2009 near Greeley, IA

Though not my personal vehicle, I've also busted a couple while working for a tour group.

 

[Greg Campbell]

Kansas, no. California, yes!

Years and years ago I took a spin out to the Port San Luis area to 'chase' a pacific storm that was blowing in. After several hours spent enjoying monster waves and 60+MPH windblown sand and sea, I was cautiously driving back home when the strong winds dropped an 8 foot, arm-sized branch on my head. Crunch!

A few years back, Monsoonal outflow hurled something fairly heavy into my car's left rear fender. It careened away into the darkness only after gouging a large divot in the metal.

 

[Shane Adams]

2 from one chase: May 12, 2005. My only window casualties in nearly 14 years of chasing, but it was definitely worth the price of admission:

 

[Bill Tabor]

2 as far as I can remember in 17 years of chasing. 3 if you count last year. I was in hail last year but I think the crack in the windshield (which showed later) was caused by a rock hitting it not hail.

http://www.chaseday.com/llanoco00.htm - On this day chased with Gene, in his vehicle. We got in baseball hail under an extremely beautiful LP Supercell near Llano, Tx. It smashed some big rings in his windshield. This doesn't show the windshield damage. I had that on my camcorder footage which I never posted. I still remember this storm as one of my favorite all time chases. Something about the magic of that early Spring day, the nearby mesolow, and the beauty of the Texas Hill Country combined.

http://www.tornadoxtreme.com/Chases_By_Year/2005_Chases/May_12th_05/may_12th_05.html Like Shane mentioned this took a heavy toll on the windshield completely smashing it up - see images; however it was worth the price of admission of one of the most photogenic, dynamic storms I can recall. Not only did this one break my windshield a hailstone made it through and left a big welt on my left forearm.

Unlike many, I try and avoid hail for the most part. It isn't because I am afraid of it (although giant hail in extreme wind can get scary), it's because if you do smash up your windshield you often can't continue your chase easily, you have a mess to clean up, and you have to pay for repairs. It's also generally difficult to make good time in a storm driving in hail particularly if a lot has already covered the ground making driving difficult. There are however times when the proper timed, punch can put you in good position and you don't necessarily get smashed by hail. It's a bit of a judgment call - sometimes hard to tell. LP's notoriously look peaceful but are known for large hail. Mature HP's certainly will have large hail and high winds if you are brave enough to sample.

 

[Billy Griffin]

Since I started chasing in 1985, only had to replace one windshield..... from a 1999 chase near Carrier, OK. Back then, data was picking up the 'bag phone' and calling in to the station for radar interpretation. I was working with a OKC station at the time, and wound up getting into a heavier-than-anticipated hail core. Lost the windshield on my Suburban. And to add misery; the next day while on my way in to get it fixed, an OHP officer pulls me over and gives me a ticket for having such a damaged windshield !!! (Arghh!)

Other than that, I've been fortunate and started playing it smarter to avoid heavier precip if at all possible.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I was in the same car with Steve Miller OK on 5/5/2009 in Breckenridge, TX. That windshield was a total loss.



Shane Adams was also driving my Ranger that day, and the windshield ended up fully cracking from that day as well as we both got caught in the same hail core. I sold the Ranger without getting it fixed, though.

So technically 2 windshields on the same day.

 

[Tim Samaras]

Most for me was 5 in one year--2005

Tim

 

[afischer]

Only one due to chasing... experienced 4" hail on May 4, 2006 from an explosive young supercell in the Sterling City/San Angelo TX areas, when I was trying to beat the core across one of the few paved roads available in the area. The very next day a number of chasers lost windshields from the Seminole TX storm too.

 

[Colt R Forney]

I've had to replace a windshield and a passenger side window in 3 years of chasing. The passenger side window was from trying to beat a nasty rain/hail filled RFD south to then head east...ended up with ~80 mph winds with golf balls to tennis balls...some how I didnt lose any other windows that day! The windshield was my fault, I love to core punch!

 

[Bill Tabor]

I have to admit hail is a lot more fun when you have a vehicle you don't mind getting beaten up. My old '96 Tahoe had taken lots of big hits. Now I've got the small Suzuki SX4 - but it's new. It's always hard for me to convince myself to 'sacrifice the virgin' to the hail stones. Last season I did follow Gene Moore into a supercell and it had up to quarter hail, but somehow I managed to avoid dents!

Right now, I am torn. I'm thinking of getting something else like a used Jeep Grand Cherokee that I don't mind beating up - use primarily for chasing but I'll miss the good SX4 gas mileage. I'd really like to have some of those hail shields too. That's on the wish list.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

One in July 2003 behind a storm dropping nickel to quarters max. One evidently hard enough hit dead center and did the above requiring a replacement.

The only other crack is from a baseball in the very upper right corner in April 2005. I've not replaced the windshield from that one though and it's pretty busted in that spot, just well out of view.

I've never intentionally avoided doing something because of hail. If anything I want to be pummeled by the worst imaginable. It's freaking storm chasing afterall. I don't get why many don't want to get pummeled. Bought the Mustang new in October 2001 and had it all pelted up in October 2001 before it was even licensed. http://www.extremeinstability.com/october_22,_2001.htm

Punched the Oregon MO monster last year as those 5 inchers were hitting, but none got the windows. Sort of disappointing actually. Would have rather taken that other e-w option more north in the core with frequent baseballs, instead of sporadic monsters. I seriously want to get a real good core soon. It's telling though that I haven't cared at all about what I will drive into and only had to replace the thing once in 9 years. Glad the one it has is out of the way so I don't have to pay for one though. The car very likely has the worst looking radiator in the alley right now though.

 

[Chris Heater]

I can say I haven't lost a windshield yet, but I think I am a much younger chaser compared to everyone here. There were a few cases where we were fairly close to large hail, but found a way to stay away from it. The closest call would have been that hail bomb storm in Missouri on June 7th of last year.

After spring break...we wont have to worry about hail anymore. A hail guard is being built for my entire truck that week, so bring on the softballs!